By Howard Packowitz and HOI-ABC
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington’s city government is spending millions of dollars to line underground sewer pipes.
The city council is hiring Hoerr Construction of Goodfield at a cost of almost $2.5 million, which is about $500,000 above what was expected. So, city leaders are delaying two other sewer projects to offset the higher cost.
The lining makes the pipes stable and leak proof to prevent them from bursting or cracking. There’s a lot underneath the streets, Bloomington Public Works Director Jim Karch told our news partners at HOI-ABC.
“You have a water main, you have sewer pipe, you have a lot of other utilities like power and gas, and those matter as well, because if you fix the street, but you have issues unaddressed in your sewer, all of a sudden you have a newly-paved street that has holes in it that are caving in,” said Karch.
To decide which sewers to line, city crews put a tiny camera in the sewage system to record the condition of the pipe.
To offset the higher-than-expected cost, city staffers are delaying Gray Avenue and Miller Street sewer work. Staffers said those projects don’t have to be done quickly, so they can be put off until additional funding is available.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
