SPRINGDALE -- The city's water utility will begin construction of a downtown sewage route this month.
The downtown sewer pipes are some of the oldest in Springdale and leak during heavy rain, said Rick Pulvirenti, director of engineering and chief operating officer for Springdale Water Utilities.
The 12-inch line will add capacity to handle the increased waste expected as downtown develops.
The city has worked over the past several years to increase residential and business development as part of a downtown revitalization effort, and this project will support that, said Jill Dabbs, executive director of the Downtown Springdale Alliance.
"These improvements are a bit messy, but we must have them for what is coming," she said.
Development planned for the district includes two complexes of 100 to 150 living units by Springdale developer Tom Lundstrom Jr.; the headquarters of WhyteSpyder, a digital merchandising company; and the summer opening of Tyson Food's manufacturing and automation technology center.
The $2.8 million sewer project should take about 10 months to complete, Pulvirenti said.
The pipe serves as part of the sewer system that runs north from the Walmart Supercenter on South Thompson Street, Pulvirenti said.
Most of the construction will take place downtown, he said. Construction will move from Turnbow Park on West Emma Avenue to the lake in Murphy Park. Some of the line was improved during recent construction projects, including the improvements at Murphy Park and the building of a Kum & Go convenience store at South Thompson Street and West Maple Avenue, he said.
The utility completed a sewer system update on East Emma Avenue in 2017.
Pulvirenti noted the crews will work on small sections to cause as little disruption as possible, "like a traveling circus show." The department tries to use this process on projects in town, he said.
Metro on 05/15/2019