The Finance Committee and the Utilities Committee will be holding a joint special session on 06/01/2022 at 6PM.
They will be taking up Resolution 5-R-22, the Water Main Resolution. This was introduced by Alderperson Chad Doran (District 15) and, if approved, would reallocate $6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to replace undersized water mains in the city. It also calls for priority to be given to areas where the water mains could be replaced by digging up terraces instead of excavating streets with the hope of minimizing the amount of street reconstruction that would need to take place.
Per the memo from retiring Director of Public Works Paula Vandehey, it would cost an estimated $3.6 million to replace the remaining 4” water mains in the city and $31.5 million to replace the 6” mains.
At this point, they do not know how many miles of the undersized water mains could be replaced within the terrace without going into the street. Additionally, there is the concern that water service lines might also need to be replaced at the same time as the watermains which can only be done by excavating the street, and the majority of sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines are in need of replacement on the same mile of streets that need watermain replacements. On a positive note, ARPA funds can be used for street reconstruction projects.
Also noted in the memo is the fact that Appleton is only replacing 0.8% of watermains when the industry standard is 1%, however, because of Appleton’s corrosive soils, pipe material and pipe age, our Water System Master Plan recommended replacing 1.7% annually.
[So, it sounds to me like the city could reallocate that $6 million in ARPA funding to street reconstruction projects in general which would be more beneficial than just trying to replace watermains on their own. The city is dealing with a lack of funding for the transportation system and is not reconstructing roads at a sustainable pace. Reallocating these funds for that purpose seems like a common-sense way to make at least some first steps toward reconstructing more roads.]
View full meeting details here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=979965&GUID=B3FBFBD5-4707-46A2-837C-7B70BE58B9F0
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