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City outlines Basin 9 manhole repairs after manhole inspections reveal infiltration defects
Summary
Robinson Engineering completed manhole inspections in Basin 9 and identified multiple defects. City staff plan to solicit bids in April for summer repairs and to pursue sewer-lining work in 2026; cost estimates and inspection counts were discussed.
Kankakee City staff told the Environmental Services Utility Board on Feb. 18 that manhole inspections in Basin 9 found a number of defects that require repairs and that the city will seek bids this spring to complete the work this year.
Staff and consultant Robinson Engineering presented a map and the results of manhole inspections. The board was told the inspection work flagged manholes with groundwater infiltration; the presentation showed red markers for manholes that need repair. Staff said they expect to go out for bids and bring a low-bid recommendation to the April ESU meeting and city council so work could be done in summer 2025. A separate round of sewer lining work is planned for 2026.
Staff described prior work in Hillcrest and the Lower River area that cost roughly $1.2 to $1.3 million and said that Basin 9 manhole repairs are likely to be substantially smaller but still significant. In the meeting record staff suggested a range of roughly $400,000 to $600,000 for manhole repairs in Basin 9, and added that the city would likely budget $1.1 million to $1.2 million over the next two years to address both manhole and sanitary sewer repairs in related basins; those numbers were presented as planning estimates.
At the meeting Superintendent Zach and others said scope work will include replacing the top work around manholes with specified concrete rather than asphalt to avoid future settlement. Staff said the manhole inspection phase identified 251 manholes inspected in Basin 9 and 59 manholes with defects; the transcript recorded this as “251 manholes inspected in Basin 9, and a 59 manholes were found to have defects for a total number of 280.” Staff will clarify counts in subsequent reporting.
The next steps outlined: complete camera inspection of the sewer lines this year, receive a written cost estimate from the consultant (expected within roughly 30 days), go out for bid in spring, and bring a bid award back to the ESU and city council for approval. If bids proceed on the expected schedule, manhole repairs would be contracted for this summer and sewer-lining bids pursued for 2026.
Board members emphasized that some manholes sit under or near roadways scheduled for resurfacing; staff said the city will avoid doing upper pavement work on those manholes and allow road projects to handle pavement restoration where appropriate.
Key details and next steps will be returned to the board in a follow-up report.
