Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Aging fire hydrants in the city like this one off Wisconsin 77 in Montreal are being replaced at the rate of at least one per year.
By KIM E. STROM
Montreal - The Montreal City Council discussed the progress of resolving water system issues within the city at its meeting Tuesday. The rehabilitation of pumps and reopening of well No. 5 are on the docket next for repair.
According to Mayor Erik Guenard, the total well rehabilitation project will cost the city approximately $123,000. "That's a conservative estimate," said Guenard in a phone interview post meeting.
"We're looking at replacing infrastructure and wells and then hoping to sell that water to the city of Hurley, hopefully by the end of 2019," he said.
Two residents expressed concern during the public comment section about aging fire hydrants in the area. "We are trying to replace one per year," said Guenard.
According to Mark Haeger, city foreman, each fire hydrant costs several thousand dollars to replace. This is in part due to having a contractor come in as the city's Public Works Department is just a two-man crew. A fire hydrant can last many years when maintained properly, but "maintenance is a big issue," said Haeger. "We can only maintain them for so long."
In other business, Haeger updated the board on several projects that have been completed including Hamilton Street resurfacing. "There was a lot of prep work," he told the Daily Globe. A culvert had to be changed out and valves had to be raised, he said.
A Federal Emergency Management Agency grant paid for the resurfacing of Quebec Street.
