SPRINGDALE -- City officials took steps Wednesday toward updating the sewer system in the downtown area.
The Springdale Water and Sewer Commission approved two agreements with Engineering Services Inc. at Wednesday's meeting. The first is for preliminary work to gather information about various sewer lines in the downtown area. The second is for plans for moving a sewer line near Walter Turnbow Park.
Commission Action
Springdale’s Water and Sewer Commission met Wednesday and approved:
• A study at the wastewater treatment plant for sludge drying and ozone use.
• A $939,130 bid from Brothers Construction for moving water and sewer line the U.S. 412 bypass.
• An agreement with McGoodwin Williams & Yates for engineering services for a project at the Johnson Lift Station.
• An agreement with Garver for engineering services for the Spring Creek interceptor.
Source: Staff report
In the future, some sewer lines will be moved, while others will be upgraded to larger sizes, said Heath Ward, executive director of Springdale Water Utilities.
The sewer pipes downtown are some of the city's oldest, 50 to 60 years old, Ward said. The need for the work is mostly because of the city's growth. Sewage from some other parts of the city flow through the sewer pipes downtown and to the wastewater treatment plant on the city's north side.
Updating the system is important, because adequate sewer service is something developers look for when when they look at properties, Ward said. The work will be needed no matter what, but officials want to do it now to get ahead of future development.
The engineering work for the downtown area will cost $38,000, said Rick Pulvirenti, chief operating officer and director of engineering for the Springdale Water Utilities. It will be related to updating a sewer line along the railroad tracks going north to Emma Avenue and a sewer line from Northwest Medical Center-Springdale to the First Security Bank on Emma Avenue.
The engineering work will provide information on what's there now, what's needed and what different options are available to officials, Ward said.
The sewer line near Walter Turnbow Park is under an alley between the park and Spring Street, Pulvirenti said. The engineering plans will help officials find a way to move the line around the park. He wasn't yet sure about the cost for engineering plans related to this work.
Utility officials are also now working "in-house" on design work to move a sewer line under First Security Bank on Emma Avenue, Ward said. This will help them avoid working on the line from the bank's basement. Instead, they will bypass it to another line and abandon the one under the bank.
Ward said major construction work on the projects could start between this fall and next spring, but it's more likely to start in spring 2016. One or two small parts of the Razorback Greenway trail might have to be torn up and replaced because of the construction, but it would still be usable during the work. The majority of the park will be left alone.
Chris Weiser, chairman of the commission, asked at the meeting how the work will affect the Public Works Department and revitalization in the downtown area. Pulvirenti said they will be in contact with Sam Goade, director of the department.
Officials in the city have been working attract more people and businesses to downtown. This includes multiple projects, including the development of Walter Turnbow Park.
Ward said officials at the utility will also be mindful of the revitalization efforts and communicate with the mayor's office and other people downtown, such as the Downtown Springdale Alliance.
Kent Hirsch, treasurer for the alliance, said he doesn't think the construction would hinder redevelopment downtown. He thinks updating infrastructure is good.
"It's always good when you can flush the toilet," he said.
NW News on 05/21/2015