Background

Portions of the existing wastewater collection system were constructed nearly 50 years ago from vitrified clay pipes which, due to their age, were disintegrating and undersized for current demand. The wastewater pipelines needed to be repaired regularly and sewage spills cleaned up because of line breaks. In some cases, raw sewage was backing up into homes and businesses, exposing the public to serious health risks. The most acute issues were identified in the main trunk line from the First Street alleyway to the Marathon Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The project also created an opportunity to provide first-time service to residents in the Fussy Flats area, where residents had on-site systems, many of which were failing.

Project Scope

The project consisted of replacing approximately 1.7 miles of the sewer main from the First Street alleyway to the Marathon WWTP, decommissioning the only lift station, reconnecting 46 existing service connections to the new trunk line, and installing approximately 0.35 miles of new laterals to connect 13 residences to the sewer system and decommission nine septic systems.

Benefits

The new conveyance infrastructure is preventing wastewater spills and sewage backups, thus helping reduce water pollution and the risks of waterborne diseases. First-time access to wastewater services was also provided to 13 households in a previously unserved area, which is collecting an additional 2,000 gallons per day of wastewater for treatment.