Council OKs $160K for sewer design work

The city will spend up to $160,000 to design the repair and replacement of a section of the sewer system beneath Greenkill Avenue.

The Common Council last week voted unanimously for resolutions authorizing spending for the design work and for the city to borrow the needed money. There was no discussion among lawmakers prior to the votes.

The city currently has a sewer failure on Greenkill Avenue, between Prospect and Sterling streets, that is quite deep, former city Engineer Ralph Swenson previously told lawmakers. He said the deeper the sewer line is buried, the more expensive it becomes to service the line or repair it when there is a problem. The sewer line in that area is buried 15 to 18 feet deep, Swenson said.

The design work approved by the council will look to elevate the sewer system in that area by 5 feet, leaving it 10 to 13 feet below the surface. The design also is to include raising a portion of the system downstream, between Clinton Avenue and Prospect Street.

Addressing the failed section of the sewer along with the downstream section would save the city money in the long run, Swenson said. He said the old pipe would be abandoned in place.

Swenson said the sewer line in that area is made of unreinforced concrete pipe that is fragile and more than 100 years old.

Repairing the sewer and elevating the system between Prospect Street and 17 Greenkill Ave. is expected to cost about $1.5 million.

The $160,000 approved by the council will fund the design work, any contingency expenses and the rental of bypass pumps, if necessary.