On March 25, the Carbondale Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a bid for replacing about 1,000 feet of the sewer main pipe beneath 2nd Street, from Capitol Avenue south to Snowmass Drive. The infrastructure has been noted as “significantly degraded” during annual operations and maintenance work.
Excavation Services Inc. was awarded the bid for $1,192,325, exceeding the project budget by about 63%. Excavation Services Inc., however, was the only formal bid despite public advertisement and direct solicitation. The scope of work was also expanded to replace six manholes along the route with eight new ones. The project will be funded from the Wastewater Fund, projected to carry a $4.6 million reserve at the end of 2025, even with the greater than expected cost of this project.
The sewer line replacement has been scheduled for the summer months, while school is out of session, to minimize impacts to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. From June 2 until possibly Aug. 20, there will be lane closures, impacts to street parking and construction noise. Access to all properties will be maintained, but residents should anticipate short delays. They will be notified in advance.
According to a memo to the BOT from the Utilities Department, “In the segment, many pipe joints are separated showing visible gravel and/or roots. Several areas of sagging pipe are evident, as well as significant pipe cracking and holes in the main pipe.” The segment has been designated as having the highest priority need for replacement by wastewater operators.
This section was installed in the early ‘70s — around the time of the Sopris Meadows development — and “the pipe material used at the time was a thin-walled PVC inner and outer wall with ‘truss’ structures between the wall, filled with low density cementitious material,” the memo continued. A pipe liner system was installed in the mid-1990s on Marble Court and Crystal Circle, but not on 2nd street.
Public Works Director Kevin Schorzman did not recommend lining the failing pipe, which would extend its lifespan by about 20 years, compared with 50 years with a new, stronger pipe material. Taking no action was not recommended.
Updates on this project and others can be found on the Town of Carbondale Facebook page — “Town of Carbondale, CO” — and www.CarbondaleConnect.org
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails from the Town of Carbondale, as well as timely notices, at www.carbondalegov.org