Council approves proposal to camera first regions as part of 10-year sewer maintenance plan

Tim, an engineer with HR Green, presented a proposed sanitary sewer maintenance program and told the council the firm proposes dividing the city into 10 regions on a 10-year rotation, with the first step being camera inspection (televising) to determine lining and spot-repair needs. He said preliminary cost assumptions use roughly $4 per linear foot to televise and estimated approximately $50,000 per year as a planning figure for ongoing maintenance, subject to adjustment when inspections reveal actual conditions.

Why this matters: Swisher has nearly 33,000 linear feet of pipe in varying materials and ages, and staff pointed out older sections (including vitrified clay pipe) and some areas installed in 2009 and 2013. Camera inspection will reveal whether sections need slip-lining, in-situ lining (a cured-in-place method) or targeted excavations for spot repairs.

Funding and timing: Staff noted approximately $396,000 remains in the Division Street bond fund and estimated about $270,000 would need to be spent to avoid penalties or other constraints before the May 2025 deadline. Council agreed it would be appropriate to seek bids to televise the first four regions rather than commit to immediate repairs until actual inspection results and scoped cost estimates are available.

Council action: The council approved a motion to seek proposals and proceed with televising regions 1 through 4 and tasked Tim to prepare scope and preliminary numbers; Tim estimated he could return cost estimates within about a month to six weeks.

Next steps: Tim will solicit proposals for camera inspection, deliver preliminary findings and cost ranges, and staff will return to council with recommendations for repair priorities and funding uses.