Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public Utilities: City outlines months-long plan to repair collapsed 48-inch sewer on Arlington/Delaware corridor
Summary
Department of Public Utilities reported no sanitary overflows since the collapse, described emergency pumping and bypass operations, and said contractor excavation and shaft work to repair a collapsed 48-inch sewer will take months and begin in early July.
The City of Toledo's Department of Public Utilities told council on June 10 that crews had prevented sanitary sewer overflows after a collapse of a 48‑inch main in the South End and described a months-long repair plan requiring a large shaft and contractor excavation.
The key points - Director Doug Stevens said the collapsed 48‑inch sewer carries most of the South End flow. After the collapse, crews established bypass pumping into a nearby 30‑inch main and used temporary 4‑inch and 6‑inch pumps to lower levels in a 32‑foot-deep manhole from full to safer levels. - The department secured a larger 12‑inch pump capable of moving roughly 5,000,000–5,500,000 gallons per day and has lowered the water level to about 25 feet; officials said they are holding conditions and have not observed sanitary overflows attributable to this failure since the prior week. - The planned permanent repair requires digging a large shaft to access the broken pipe. Stevens described the planned shaft as roughly 28 feet long by 17 feet wide and about 55 feet deep; a contractor is expected to mobilize the week of July 7 to begin excavation and bypass‑pumping operations. - Stevens estimated the repair would take several months and likely push major completion to later in the year; once the contractor establishes the certified bypass pumping system, crews will proceed to repair the collapsed infrastructure.
Council members and staff concerns Council members thanked DPU staff for the emergency response and communications with residents and boating interests. Council asked about overflow risk, future capacity and whether the 12‑inch interim measures would be sufficient in extreme weather. Stevens said that, barring extreme conditions, the temporary pumping and the new interim pipe setup should prevent backups into basements and eliminate overflows while the permanent repair is completed.
What the city will do next DPU will continue monitoring flows and will report progress to council; the department expects contractor excavation and shaft construction to start the week of July 7 and said final repairs will take months. The department also indicated it would share photos and updates with council and provide additional detail in follow-up communications.
Direct quotes from the meeting “We haven’t had any sanitary overflows as a result of Arlington since last week,” said Doug Stevens, director of the Department of Public Utilities. “We now have the water down to 25 feet, and we’re holding.”
Documentation and follow-up Council requested status updates and timeline milestones as work proceeds. The city will post formal procurement and contract documents once the contractor is selected and the mobilization schedule is finalized.
