ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Downtown Escanaba is in the middle of an extensive construction project on Ludington Street. Now, the City is working to replace a water main that was not part of the original plan.
The City’s Water and Wastewater Departments began underground utility upgrades this spring. While doing so, Water/Wastewater Superintendent Jeff Lampi says crews were on the lookout for existing galvanized pipes.
“I got scared that existing galvanized was going to be left on the water main and rot away and create a leak,” he explained. “Then those leaks would create patches in our brand new street and sidewalk, and that could mean 10 or 20 spots through each block. I was not really eager to see that happen.”
In the process of locating those pipes, crews found a water main that was much older than City records showed. On Wednesday, the City Council voted in favor of the Water Department spending up to $874,222 to replace the main. City Manager Jim McNeil said that amount is worth it when compared to the cost of replacing the main in the future.
“We looked at, ‘What does it look like to not replace this?” he said at the City Council meeting. “You run the risk of it rupturing—whether it’s one year, two years, five to ten years—more than likely before we replace the street again in 30 or so. At that time, it’s going to cost a lot more to do it just from inflation, materials and labor, all the restoration on the street again at that time, disruption of businesses… The other option is to take care of it today. The contractor on site, they’re already replacing water main for us in town, being Oberstar. Now we can do it just at the cost of adding pipe and not an additional cost of new restoration… The lowest-cost and least disruptive time to do it is right now.”
Lampi says crews appreciate the public’s patience as they work to complete ongoing projects and take on this new one.
“We’re doing our best,” he told WZMQ 19. “We’re making a lot of mistakes, but we’re trying to right the ship and keep things moving forward.”
While the replacement will delay the project timeline somewhat, Lampi says it will only be a minor adjustment.
