Price City hears $20 million estimate to replace failing transmission pipeline; treatment-plant upgrades also flagged

An engineering assessment presented at a Price City work session concluded the city’s springs-to-treatment transmission line is at elevated risk of failure and recommended phased replacement of steel sections and lining of cast-iron sections, with a high-level construction estimate of about $20,000,000.

The report, delivered by consultants who inspected above- and below-ground pipe and conducted soil testing, ranked the upper segments of the line (identified in the study as segments A through C) as the highest priority for repairs because of corrosion, exposure at river crossings and proximity to Highway 6. The consultants recommended open-cut replacement for the steel sections and cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining or similar for cast-iron sections where suitable.

"It was important for the council to talk about our situation with our water, our transmission lines and our water plant," the Mayor said at the start of the session. Sam Fankhauser, project manager for a2s, summarized the physical findings: "A good portion of this line is an 18 inch steel line" and described exposed pipe, holes and areas where supports are undermined by creeks.

Why it matters: the line delivers spring water to the Price water-treatment plant. Consultants said the steel sections—installed roughly 90 years ago and thinner-walled than modern pipe—are most at risk of a consequential failure. The study team recommended prioritizing Segment A (from the springs down toward Colton Bridge) first, followed by C and B, and treating cast-iron segments (D and E) with lining where feasible.

Cost and scope: the consultants gave a high-level construction estimate of about $20 million to address the recommended work on the transmission line from the springs to the…