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District reports in-house sewer work saved about $100,000; several road closures continue
Summary
District staff said recent in-house sewer and manhole work saved roughly $100,000 on a project that was estimated at $300,000 if outsourced; crews are working on multiple streets and some closures will last into summer.
District staff said crews are working on multiple sewer replacements and manhole projects across the city and that doing the work in-house has produced measurable cost savings.
Conrad, a district staff member, told the Board of Sanitary Commissioners on June 11 that crews will work on Amherst between Riley and Brentwood for a sewer replacement and at the corner of Reserve, Meeks and North Street for manhole replacements. He also said district crews finished work on Petty between Tillotts and Bridal but that the road remains closed for other utility work.
Conrad provided a cost example to illustrate the value of in-house work: "If we had outsourced that work, it was estimated to cost about $300,000; they were able to complete it for $200,000 — so dollars $100,000 savings in just this one small project." He said the engineering department’s new equipment and personnel made more in-house work possible.
Board members asked about pavement restoration at the Petty site and scheduling priorities. Conrad said the district’s priority list places Walnut, MLK and Highland ahead of Petty and that Petty would be addressed after those roads, putting it “about four roads back in priority.” He also said some repairs will wait until school is out to minimize disruption.
The board discussed the timeline and neighborhood impacts but did not take a vote or adopt new construction priorities at the meeting. The district encouraged drivers and neighbors to plan for closures and said crews will be on site for the next several weeks on specific projects.
Separately, board members highlighted worker safety after the meeting noted that a district employee was recently struck by a vehicle while performing roadway work. The board asked drivers to exercise caution around work zones and wished the employee a speedy recovery.
The board also reminded the public of a joint City and District "Touch-a-Truck" event scheduled for June 20 near City Hall.
No formal project approvals were recorded at the June 11 meeting.
