Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wastewater Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Officials: Walnut Street force main limits drive Front Street backups; fixes could exceed $1 million
Summary
City staff said the wastewater force main leaving Walnut Street can move a maximum of 2,300 gallons per minute, a constraint officials say contributes to Front Street backups during heavy rain. Options under study include storage, upsizing the force main and plant expansion; estimated costs and DNR requirements complicate timing and funding.
Kevin, a city staff member, told meeting participants the wastewater force main that runs from Walnut Street to the treatment plant “can only carry 2,300 gallons a minute,” and that limit contributes to backups on Front Street during heavy rains. He said the city is working with Cochran Engineering on options that include short-term storage (a retention tank) and upsizing the force main.
The discussion matters because heavy storms in recent years sent large flows through the system; Kevin pointed to nearby flooding events that damaged buildings and said the town’s system can be overwhelmed when rainfall totals reach the levels the region has been seeing. “On these heavy big rains where we get 7, 8 inches, which we seem to get every year now, we’re unable to move the sewage from Walnut Street to the treatment plant,” he said.
City staff described two broad technical approaches: build storage to hold sewage at a lift station until flows subside, or increase the capacity of the force main. Kevin said storage does not solve the fundamental problem—moving the sewage to the plant—and that a new or upsized force main may be required. He also summarized engineering and program constraints: phased construction would leave partial segments unused until the entire run was complete, and DNR approval and funding limitations will influence the final plan.
Estimates discussed at the meeting were preliminary. Kevin said Cochran’s early numbers suggested costs “well over a million dollars” for either a new force main or a retention option. He also said a prior estimate to expand the treatment plant to 6,000,000 (gallons) was about $12,000,000 “today,” and that the town’s 4,000,000-gallon plant had cost roughly $20,000,000 about 12 years ago. Kevin cautioned that those are rough figures and the timeline depends on firm design and funding: “Once we get once we actually get the information gathered and we come up with a plan, that’s when we’ll start figuring out how we’re gonna pay for it.”
On funding, Kevin said the town is ineligible for some DNR grants because median per-capita metrics place the town above grant thresholds. He said the municipality could seek low-interest State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans or internal borrowing but that grant options are limited: “We can get low interest SRF loans through the department…we’ve tried [for grants]. We cannot get grants for water.”
No formal action or vote on a capital project was taken at the meeting. Kevin said staff would continue engineering work with Cochran Engineering and “bring it to you guys” once a more detailed plan and cost estimate are available. The discussion included repeated cautions about timing, funding and public questions that will arise if and when the council proposes borrowing for a project.
Other operational details raised during the discussion included immediate repair needs at pump stations (two pumps completed; variable-frequency drive pending), a broken gate affecting pumps 3 and 4, and the planned July rebuild of the belt press by Alpha Valve. Kevin said the rebuilt belt press will be “completely rebuilt … other than the framework” and that staff expect it to last decades. He also noted two capital equipment requests to be included in the fiscal budget: a larger crane truck (to handle heavier lift-station pumps) and a mini excavator (to reduce ground damage compared with a backhoe); Kevin said those purchases will be split between water and wastewater budgets.
Questions from meeting participants repeatedly returned to urgency and timing. Kevin said a project could be years away: “From the initial cost that we have proposal that we think it may cost, it may not be till 29-30 by the time revenue gets built up,” and added that the town will need to decide whether to borrow and pay over time or to delay until revenues cover capital costs.
The meeting record showed no adoption of ordinances or funding commitments related to the force main; staff described the discussion as engineering and budget planning at an early stage. Kevin said he would return with more information for future meetings and that the item remains under study.
