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Madison board approves phase 1 flow metering for Wells Drive lift station
Summary
The Board of Public Works and Safety approved task order 2025-01 to install temporary flow meters in the Wells Drive sub‑basin, the first step in a multi‑phase project to address a combined sewer overflow point and plan a larger lift‑station upgrade.
The Board of Public Works and Safety of Madison City on March 3 approved task order 2025-01 to install temporary flow meters in the Wells Drive sub‑basin as the first step toward upgrades at the Wells Drive lift station.
The phase 1 work, described in a memo from Commonwealth Engineering, will place flow meters in existing manholes in upstream branch lines for about two months to capture data on peak and dry‑weather flows. Rob, an engineer with Commonwealth Engineering, told the board the meters will “allow us to properly size the new pumps for that station” and help “pinpoint some areas of infiltration and inflow” that could require targeted pipe rehabilitation.
The memo frames the work as part of a three‑phase plan. Phase 1 is flow metering and a technical memorandum with recommendations; phase 2 would include smoke testing and preparing a preliminary engineering report (PER); phase 3 would be design and construction once funding is secured. Commonwealth Engineering said the PER and SRF (State Revolving Fund) application schedule would aim for an SRF submission in March 2026 and, if funded, design by mid‑ to late‑2026 with construction possibly in 2027.
Board members discussed the lift station’s age, its role in the collection system and the larger capital planning implications. Rob said the Wells Drive lift station was built in 1972. Brian, the city’s utility superintendent, said smaller neighborhood lift stations feed into larger regional stations such as Wells Drive, Grange Hall and Vaughn Drive and that Wells Drive serves a substantial area of the hilltop. The board noted the city has been maintaining multiple lift stations and will need a rate study and broader capital planning to fund multimillion‑dollar projects.
Brian told the board that phase 1 would be paid from the utility operating account and that those costs would be eligible for reimbursement later if the city obtains SRF financing. On budget and scope, one board member observed the permanent metering of systems is costly and that the temporary metering effort for two months is an expensive but necessary diagnostic; a staff member referenced an estimated cost of about $60,000 for the temporary metering effort.
After discussion, a motion to approve the task order for the Wells Drive sub‑basin flow metering (task order 2025‑01) passed with members voting “aye.”
