Alpine workshop: clarifier work stalled, drying beds operating; asset-management plan urges pipe inspections and rate study

City of Alpine councilors and staff met at a wastewater workshop on Oct. 7 for updates on treatment-plant repairs, sludge handling and an asset-management plan that could reshape near-term budgeting. Consultant Andy, presenting remotely, said most clarifier mechanical equipment has arrived but remaining fasteners and the final installation await the manufacturer, Dow Tech, and that work is expected to resume in early November if the vendor meets its schedule.

The clarifier work is the final piece of the current treatment-plant contract, Andy said. "That's the only part remaining," he told the council, noting concrete repairs and coatings are complete and the contractor has removed the old mechanical and electrical equipment.

Why it matters: the city’s asset-management report put long-term replacement needs for the wastewater system at roughly $8–9 million, driven largely by sewer pipes and manholes that have passed their expected 50-year life. The consultant recommended a condition assessment of pipes and manholes and targeted rehabilitation (CIPP lining, slip-lining, epoxy/manhole repairs) that could cut the replacement estimate by roughly $6 million, to about $2.2–2.3 million, depending on rehabilitation findings. The plan also recommends an updated rate study after the condition…