Imperial City advances sewer line and wastewater-plant work, including bid authorization for Phase 2 to Claypool Pump Station

The Imperial City Council on Wednesday authorized plans and specifications and directed staff to seek public bids for the Ayton Road shoreline replacement project, Phase 2, which will extend sewer work from Preble Road to the Claypool Pump Station and include a new wet well.

The action was taken after Public Services staff described the project as the next step to replace undersized, aging sewer pipe and to reduce reliance on the Clark Road pump station. "We found that it was only 6 foot in diameter and too small," Public Services Director Dale said when explaining the decision to install a 12-foot-diameter wet well. "We're going to absolutely replace it and abandon it in place when we're done." The council voted to approve the plans and go out to bid; the motion carried 4-0.

Why it matters: officials said Phase 2 will both replace old vitrified-clay pipe and allow the city to almost eliminate the problematic Clark Road pump station, reducing ongoing operational trouble for sewer operators. The project will include night work for certain crossings to keep intersections open during daytime traffic, staff said.

Council members asked about continuity of service. Dale told the council the Clark Road pump station would likely still run occasionally but the new configuration would substantially reduce its use; the project also includes abandoning the older 10-inch vitrified-clay pipeline in place once replaced.

The council also heard department-level updates on wastewater and water infrastructure. Dale reported the wastewater treatment plant's headworks are deteriorating and that the membrane filtration system needs eventual replacement. "The membranes themselves are about $2,000,000 to replace," Dale said, adding that preliminary engineering estimates for the broader headworks replacement push the project north of $5 million. He said the city has started demolition and preliminary engineering and will report back with cost estimates.

On the water side, staff said planning is under way for lining a raw-water pond and preparing plans and specifications for a second storage tank to increase redundancy. "If one tank goes down, the whole water plant goes down," Dale said, arguing for an additional tank to improve reliability.

Ending: Council members moved the sewer Phase 2 plans to public bid and were informed of larger capital needs at the treatment plant that will come back to council as cost estimates and design documents are completed. The motion to authorize bidding for Phase 2 passed unanimously.