Phase I of the project was to separate the city’s sewer system from the storm drains wherever it is possible. Other improvements were also undertaken to maximize the city’s use of the sanitary system.
Phase II in the plan is to better manage storm water overflow during storm events.
“The system actually looks like long lengths of pipe about 210 to 220 feet long and they are five feet in diameter,” said Davidson. “During heavy rains excess storm water will overflow into the storage system and then when it subsides will be slowly let back into the system.”
The idea, according to Davidson, is to keep storm water from flowing directly into the Yellow River.
“It will reduce the amount of bacteria that could be discharged into the river at any one time,” said Davidson. “When we started, water discharged into the river nearly every time it rained. With the Phase I improvements we reduced the number of times that storm water flows straight into the river to six times a year. Phase II should drop that down to at most four times a year.
“We’ll be able to take a storm of 1.33 inches of rain in an hour — which is a pretty intense storm – and not have any discharge into the river.”
If the system works, Davidson says residents shouldn’t even notice.
“If they notice something I’ve got a problem,” he said.
The project also includes replacing of bottlenecks in the system caused by too small a pipe installed 80 years ago on 6th Street. There will also be a sewer replacement on Bailey Street as part of the plan.
The project was bid at a little over $1 million and Davidson says contractors hope to finish by Christmas time.
Also part of the same design is lift station work that will soon begin at Red Rock Inn and on Plymouth/Goshen Trail.
“Those projects are designed to reroute water to another sewer on the west side,” said Davidson. “That’s going to help with the overall flow.”
That project was awarded for a little over $532,000 and while construction hasn’t begun, the contract calls for completion within five months.