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Water and Sewer Director Updates Committee on Capital Projects, Service-Line Work and Water-Quality Testing
Summary
Director Eric Lee told the committee about a $24 million bid to anchor the Uchi Dam, progress replacing meters and identifying service-line materials, a 30-inch leak at 1st & Elwood, findings of tuberculation in old unlined cast-iron pipes, and plans for PFAS and lead testing; staff also reported discovering properties with septic that should be on sewer and unbilled connections.
The director of the Water and Sewer Department briefed the committee on multiple operational fronts, from large capital projects to neighborhood-level service-line issues.
Eric Lee said the department received a bid of "$24,000,000 to anchor our Uchi Dam," a 15-month project intended to stabilize the dam for the long term. He described distribution work with contractor TrueReid to replace meters and identify service-line materials (about 66% of the contract goal completed) and reported a 30-inch leak at 1st and Elwood under assessment with potential slip-lining repairs. On distribution challenges he said teams found unlined cast-iron pipe with ferrous-oxide buildup that can reduce flow and cause discoloration; staff will design replacement projects in those areas.
Lee also described sewer-side concerns: shared service-line failures where one resident's failure affects another, backyard landscaping and fire pits that obstruct manhole access, and 60 locations where homes retain septic but have sewer available. He said the revenue-assurance review found 160 properties connected but not billed. On treatment and testing, Lee noted ARPA-funded upgrades that will increase capacity at Lower Bird Creek by fiscal year 2027 and said, "There's none in our treated water, none in our watersheds," when asked about PFAS in treated water; he also described ongoing lead and copper testing in schools dating to 2017 and plans to expand testing and bilingual reporting. Staff said some legislative and cybersecurity issues affecting utilities are being tracked and that the department will return with further actions and plans.
The committee thanked staff and noted continued coordination on capital planning, permitting and outreach to property owners about encroachments in easements and sewer-connection requirements; no committee vote was required on the informational update.
