City prepares for sewer project

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Each time heavy rains fall on Greencastle, sewer plant officials have their eyes on the North Jackson Street lift station.

Wastewater Superintendent George Russell said the system has been known to back up, causing overflows into a nearby creek up to five times a year in the vicinity of the U.S. 231 viaduct. The problems generally occur during periods of heavy rain in the spring and fall.

Russell said he is required to notify IDEM each time an overflow takes place, and IDEM is requiring the city to take action to correct the problem. City officials are arranging to have the sewage lines running from the lift station to the treatment plant on Columbia Street replaced this summer in order to stop the overflows.

The project will be done in two phases, according to Russell. The first phase, which will be done this year, involves replacing the sewer line beginning at Madison Street and running west along Elizabeth Street to Rockville Road, then south to the sewage plant.

The city has estimated the replacement, which they hope to begin this summer, to cost just less than $1 million, but Russell said he is hopeful that when the project goes out for bid next month, the estimates will be much lower.

Mayor Sue Murray said the city has budgeted enough money for the project.

Russell said the new line will increase the pumping capacity of the North Jackson Street lift station from 2,000 gallons per minute to 3,400 gallons per minute, which he hopes will lessen the number of sewage overflows at the lift station.

The project could begin in early to mid-summer and end sometime this fall, Russell said.

When the city decides to complete the second phase of the replacement, the capacity will be increased to 4,000 gallons per minute.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: