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City engineer presents Palisades and Southport water study; no action taken
Summary
A consultant summarized a small-area addendum to the 2019 Water Facilities Master Plan, recommending a new transmission main in the Southport zone, pressure-zone boundary adjustments near Kinetic Group, and phased replacement of corroded fittings in Palisades/Country Club zones.
The Lewiston City Council received a presentation on Aug. 11 of the Palisades and Southport Study, an addendum to the 2019 Water Facilities Master Plan that examined three small pressure zones in the city's water distribution system.
City Engineer Luke Antonich introduced the study and consultant Ryan Raider of Merrick, who condensed a 65-page report into a brief summary for council. Raider said the Southport zone currently relies on a single larger-diameter transmission main that crosses the Lewiston airport runway and represents a single point of failure. "The primary alternative for this one ... is a new 16-inch ductile iron main that kind of loops around the end of the runway and ties in to an existing main," Raider said.
The study identified three primary areas of focus:
- Southport Zone: A recommended new 16-inch transmission main to add redundancy, plus booster-station improvements and a pressure-reducing station for the Brighton Canyon Golf Course where pressures exceed typical standards. - Industrial/"Kinetic Group" area south of the airport: Recommendations to formalize a new pressure zone boundary and modest interzonal connections to improve operational clarity and redundancy. - Palisades and Country Club zones: Repeated corrosion problems likely linked to corrosive backfill soils; staff and the consultant recommended phased replacement of about 400 service saddles over about a 10-year interval, estimated at roughly $5,000 each.
Raider said the project was partly funded by a state revolving loan fund grant and that the study is in a public-comment period; the plan will be posted on the city's website for written input before staff returns for adoption of the final facility plan.
Councilor discussion
Councilors asked technical and operational questions. When asked about pressures in affected areas, Raider said water systems typically operate between 40 and 80 psi and "you're seeing out there ... some spots ... that are 160, even higher than that at times." He confirmed the existing transmission line across the airport was a single feed and noted it is plastic and not known to be affected by corrosive soil.
No formal council action was required at the meeting; staff will incorporate public comments into the final report and later ask council to adopt the facility plan findings.
