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Bridge delays, sewer inspection and lift-station outage top Hobart engineer report
Summary
City Engineer Alex Metz told the Hobart Sanitary District that bidding on the Wisconsin Street bridge is delayed by drainage questions and contractor availability; the board approved a $4,740 video inspection for a large sewer main, and staff reported storm-related lift-station power problems and high March flows.
City Engineer Alex Metz told the Hobart Sanitary District on April 28 that bidding for the Wisconsin Street bridge has been delayed by contractor availability and unresolved drainage questions and that construction timing may be affected by a planned dam project that could lower the water table by about 1.5 feet.
Metz reported field problems at an older sewer reach: a jetter head was stuck, a culvert was filled with stone and no as-built drawings were available. Road indentations raised concern about a possible pipe collapse; SSO was on site and will file a report. Metz said crews are locating the sewer line to determine which sections need replacement.
The board authorized video inspection work to clarify ownership and condition of a portion of the over-18-inch sewer main near Liberty Place. Two quotes were presented: Absolute Pipe ($4,740) and Duke's Roots ($6,000). The board approved the Absolute Pipe quote, with a not-to-exceed amount of $4,740.
Work on Lillian Street is progressing, Metz said, with most sewer replacements complete; crews encountered gas leaks that are being repaired. Metz added that H&G reported pipe lead times of six to eight weeks and expected construction to begin within roughly a month.
Phil Schoon briefed the board on lift station operations after a storm that caused widespread outages. The Main Lift ran on a tie breaker for about 24 hours before power restoration; Lift Station 14 remained without power. Several stations used generators. Austgen Electric inspected a failed generator receptacle attachment that will require replacement at an estimated cost of about $1,000 to avoid water backup into the station. President Bob Fulton asked Schoon to evaluate standalone generators at lift stations.
The Main Lift Station recorded 148,342,000 gallons pumped to the Gary Sanitary District in March — an increase of 77,821,000 gallons from February — with an average daily flow of 4.785 million gallons per day for the month. Precipitation measured at the Main Lift station totaled 5.46 inches in March, above the 10-year average of 3.92 inches for March.
The board discussed next steps for locating the sewer main, stabilizing the embankment and scheduling repairs; staff will provide updates to residents and follow up with SSO and contractors as inspection and repair work proceeds.
