Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By TOM LAVENTURE
Ironwood — Seven areas around Ironwood will be included in summer sewer and water projects, according to Scott Erickson, Ironwood city manager.
The work includes a major reconstruction on Lake Avenue, along with projects on Van Buskirk Road, East Ayer Street, downtown, and Lake Street, he said. Work schedules will be announced after contractor bids are awarded.
“There is a combination of sewer, storm sewer and water line work in this summer’s projects,” Erickson said.
The largest portion with the longest duration will occur on Lake Avenue between Curry and Lake streets, he said. The road will be removed to replace utilities, followed by replacement of road, gutters, curbs and sidewalks.
Lake Avenue will be closed to thru-traffic and an on-site coordinator will work with local residents regarding day-to-day access issues, he said. “Full reconsructs” are the most disruptive for residents with things like garbage pickup needing to be coordinated.
“It’s always a challenge during these projects and the contractor works very closely with the homeowners,” Erickson said. “It’s always kind of a moving target but we’ve done a lot of these projects and there is a pretty good structure in place that works well.”
The Van Buskirk Road project will be to replace aging utilities in an area of repeated water breaks in recent years. The East Ayer Street project will be to replace a section of storm sewer that has presented problems over the years and on the southeast corner of the Country Club Road intersection.
The Lake Street project will be to connect two existing 16-inch water mains with new 16-inch connector pipes to improve circulation. The current 1-inch “manifold” connectors prevent good circulation and have caused discoloration.
“Manifolding doesn’t do a very good job,” Erickson said. “It just doesn’t create the velocity you need to keep that water circulating as well as it should.”
A specialty contractor will conduct relining of existing clay water mains along Aurora Street from the Ironwood Carnegie Library through the core block downtown to Lawrence Street, he said. There will also be some work in the alley behind the Historic Ironwood Theatre.
“Relining is proactive work for the older clay pipes,” Erickson said. The disruption downtown should be minimal with brief closures for trucks to do relining work.
A sewer and water project on Hemlock Street will be bid as an alternate project, he said. If the winning bid is low enough the work will be included this summer or it will be added to a future project.
The projects stem from a water and sewer infrastructure study that outlined a long-term proactive plan that has guided annual work to refurbish the system over 20 years, Erickson said. This project includes recommendations from that report.
“We’ve done a lot already, but it’s never ending,” Erickson said.
There may be a pause with the 2022 projects to focus on the water filtration plant and pump station to resolve iron, manganese and discoloration issues, he said. But after four completed phases of priority projects the next four phases are more proactive and can withstand a delay, he said.
Funding for the projects come from a combination of existing department budgets and a capital improvement fund that is funded through annual water and sewer utility rates, he said. It’s a long term investment back into the community.
“That’s what water and sewer funds are used for,” Erickson said. “It’s not only operations to keep things going but it’s also about replacements.”
The city is also identifying properties with lead or galvanized water lines that run from the public water main to homes and structures, he said. The state of Michigan now requires the water authority to replace the lines within 20 years.
“The city applied for grant funding for water service line replacement through a Michigan program,” Erickson said. “If we do get it there will be a separate project to replace other lines in about a year.”
Residents can go into their basements and look at where the water service line comes in to check and see if it is copper, galvanized steel or lead line, he said. If there is a question regarding the line a city employee can check the line, he said.