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Public Works warns of accelerating stormwater pipe failures and funding gap; presents projects and maps
Summary
Public Works presented 2025 stormwater and street work, showing multiple completed and planned stormwater repairs, a large inventory of aging corrugated metal pipe, and a funding gap that limits how many projects can be completed each year.
Public Works staff updated the Leavenworth City Commission on a series of completed and planned infrastructure projects and warned that a long backlog of failing stormwater pipes and sinkholes requires more funding to address at scale.
Deputy Director Mike Stevens and GIS technician Heather presented recent projects completed in 2025, including pipe and inlet replacements on 20th Street at Seneca, storm repairs on Sixth Avenue at Spruce, and replacement work at the Guidance Center parking lot where a 48‑inch corrugated metal pipe had failed. Staff said city crews performed the Guidance Center repairs in‑house and repaved the lot.
Public Works described a persistent problem with corrugated metal pipe (CMP): staff estimate about 15.5 miles of CMP in the city, much of it installed in the 1970s–1980s and vulnerable to corrosion, salts and chemical damage. Staff said CMP failures typically cause voids and sinkholes as soil falls into rusted pipe sections. The department showed multiple examples of sinkholes and collapsed sections, including recent incidents on Walnut, Oak and Chestnut streets that required temporary fencing and planned reconstruction.
Staff explained funding constraints: the city’s stormwater fund collects roughly $1.1 million per year but can only repair a limited number of large pipe projects annually; a 48‑inch replacement or deep reconstruction can cost far more than smaller repairs, and deeper projects (trench depths of 20–25 feet) increase costs substantially. The presentation included a long project list (more than 100 identified stormwater projects) and staff said GIS will work to publish the project list and maps to the public.
Public Works also reviewed street maintenance activity (mill overlays, UBAS ultra thin bonded asphalt surface treatments, sidewalks funded by CDBG and ADA ramp improvements supported by KDOT grants), upcoming projects (Fourth Street extension to Metropolitan, Tenth Street improvements and safe‑routes/school crossings), and wastewater plant upgrades (new switchgear, dewatering press order and a master plan update). Staff showed drone footage of the municipal service center and wastewater plant and noted a certificate of occupancy for a new administration building at the Water Pollution Control facility.
Commissioners asked about program pacing, alley maintenance and whether private property owners could perform temporary repairs; staff said homeowners can do minor temporary patching but warned common DIY materials often fail quickly in road conditions. Staff emphasized that while the city is completing projects each year, the aging network of pipes and the limited annual budget mean the backlog will continue to grow unless funding is increased.
No new fee or budget action was proposed at the study session; Public Works asked the commission to consider longer‑term funding strategies for stormwater and said staff would publish project maps and updates on the department website.
