Members of the Constantine Village Council reviewed two bids on portions of pressurized sewer pipe or forcemains in need of repair during their meeting Monday evening (June 3rd).
James Baker, superintendent of the Three Rivers Wastewater Treatment Plant, was on hand to answer questions about the bids for work on force mains on Gleason and King roads.
In a memo, Baker stated that, during the course of a Forcemain Improvement Project, substantial damage was discovered in three manholes containing air release valves earlier. “As a result of the corrosion of a 10-inch diameter cement lined ductile iron pipe section within and just outside the manhole, the saddle clamp, nipple and isolation valve require replacement,” he said.
James Baker, superintendent of the Three Rivers Wastewater Treatment Plant, was on hand for Monday’s Constantine Village Council meeting when bids for sewer forcemain repairs were reviewed and discussed.
“Uncontrolled rainfall, high ground water, road salt all contributed to a very corrosive situation in the pipeline. It is not as well kept up and corrosion is a result of environmental factors.”
Baker said pipeline along US-131 had no issues. The line was installed in 1997. “Soils are well drained. You can still see the stamping on the pipes, which indicates it is in very good shape.”
The two bids provided were both from W. Soule in Portage. The first bid was for replacement of the pipe in all three locations at a cost of $44,105. The second option – with a cost of $32,000 – was for a full repair in one section, and application of coal tar patches at the trouble spots at the two other locations. Baker indicated there were a few other factors not considered in the bids, and they should be higher than indicated in his memo.
Baker recommended the first option of a complete replacement. “If we patch it, it might last a year or two. If we need to come back to fix it, you might pay $20,000-$30,000 in additional cost,” he said.
Baker said to fix the problem, pump stations would have to be shut down for six to eight hours, and factories would be contacted to regulate when they discharged materials into the system.
Trustee Bob Brewer asked what would be done about the spot where the new bypass crosses over the sewer line. Baker said the MDOT was covering any cost.
Trustee Cathy Piper asked what the estimated life of the new pipe would be. Baker said the minimum was 20-25 years, and it could last up to 50 years.
Village Manager Mark Honeysett asked Baker how long they could wait to repair the problems. “There is some time. If you approved it tonight work wouldn’t begin until August, but within 35-40 days we need some direction to move on this before winter,” Baker said.
Honeysett said he did foresee some issues would arise in the water-sewer system. “The Dell Lawsuit money is pretty close to gone. I did budget some wiggle room, but this will take a big chunk of the budget out, or half of what I budgeted,” he said.
Trustee Bob Brewer said he would like Constantine to build its own sewer plant. “No offense, but I’m tired of giving money to Three Rivers that we should be spending on ourselves. I want to ask our state reps to get involved on this,” he said.
Village President Pat Weiss suggested the Sewer Ad Hoc Committee review the bids and report back to the council. Trustee Gary Mathers, who is Sewer Ad Hoc Committee chairman, said his committee would meet soon.
In other council business:
- Honeysett reported Vaupell Midwest Molding & Tooling, 485 Florence Road was asking for a twelve-year, 50 per cent tax abatement for the construction of a new $250,000 Clean Room at their facility. The council set a public hearing for 7:05 p.m. on June 17.
- Honeysett reported Geek Genius in Kalamazoo was contracted to work on the Village’s website-home page, and the DDA was paying the cost.
Source: Story and photos contributed by Angie Birdsall.