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City details sewer liners, inflow-and-infiltration fixes and water testing; water loss drops after downtown repairs
Summary
Public Works described a series of sewer and water projects — pipe lining, upsizing trunk mains, lift-station SCADA, downtown alley CIP — and reported water-quality test results below regulatory limits and a measured fall in water loss from about 46% to 37% after targeted repairs.
Public Works staff detailed ongoing water and sewer capital work and compliance testing during the commission meeting.
Ryan Townesen and Jason Moyer summarized sewer rehabilitation efforts: a 1,600-foot upsized HDPE main replaced an aging eight-inch line on the north side, and a CIPP (cure-in-place pipe) liner was installed for roughly 2,800 feet along Lewis Street to fix cracks and joints that were admitting groundwater. Townesen said the projects reduce inflow-and-infiltration (I&I) that dilutes wastewater and strains the treatment plant.
Townesen also described a Crawford lift-station SCADA installation that will send alarms and run-time data to staff, enabling remote monitoring and a faster response to pump failures.
On water, staff summarized comprehensive DEQ sampling (radium, nitrates, disinfection byproducts, arsenic, herbicides). The highest radium measurement was 1.8 (MCL 5), nitrates 1.5 (MCL 10), and arsenic results were well below the MCL (0.005 vs. MCL 0.1); staff said overall results are within regulatory limits and compared favorably to many surface-water systems.
Public works also reported measurable water-loss reduction tied to the downtown water-main repair: city figures show system water loss declined from about 46% in Aug–Sep 2024 to about 37% for the same months in 2025, with 8.6 million fewer gallons pumped in the latter period after repairs.
Commissioners commended staff for the practical presentations and asked for continued public communications, including posting the Consumer Confidence Report and technical briefings so residents can better understand infrastructure priorities and trade-offs.
Public works said the downtown alley and Lewis-Street rehabilitation phases are nearing completion and that paving and final tests should finish within weeks.
