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Officials detail multi-leak water-main emergency; staff seek $750,000 OKRA grant and approve consultant contract
Summary
City staff described a multi-day water-main failure on 3rd Street and nearby hills that produced five leaks and an estimated 1.6–2 million gallons lost; the board approved a consulting contract (about $60,000–$65,000) to pursue a $750,000 OKRA water grant to support infrastructure work.
Public works staff told the Board of Public Works and Safety on May 18 that crews responded to a complex, multi-leak water-main emergency on 3rd Street and nearby slopes that required extended, around-the-clock work and temporary traffic controls.
A staff member described an 8-inch transmission line split and multiple transite-pipe failures in an area near Frazee and Summit, saying crews worked long shifts to repair five separate leaks. The official estimated 1.6–2 million gallons of water were lost and said most repairs were completed in-house; a valve insertion contractor, Aumerle’s, was used for a key installation. “We did not stop until everything was done,” the presenter said, praising in-house crews and the street department for lengthy repairs and expedited concrete pours to reopen roads for a planned downtown event.
Separately, Director Wilson asked the board to approve a consulting-services agreement with Mike Kleinpeter Consulting to support an OKRA water grant application that would fund a $750,000 water project. The contract figure discussed was $60,000–$65,000 for grant-writing and related services; the board approved the contract by voice vote.
Officials said the city is pursuing Community Crossing matching grants and planning proactive service replacements under future paving projects to reduce the risk of repeated failures on aging infrastructure.
