O’Fallon Public Works Committee expands plans for Westbrook Subdivision sewers
Responding to residents’ complaints on drainage issues, Public Works Director Jeff Taylor is asking the O’Fallon City Council to modify storm sewer replacement work beyond North Madison Street to include a wider area in the Westbrook subdivision.
Taylor told the Public Works Committee on Monday his department must install new storm sewer pipe to accept drainage from the ditch behind Nixon and discharge it to the tributary of Engle Creek.
Improvements are necessary because the sewer pipe crossing Juniper Drive — just west of Osage Drive — is deteriorating. That amounts to 450 feet of work.
For the past three years, the department has sought to upgrade and improve the old stormwater infrastructure, with extensive work in the older area known as the “Presidential Streets” in phases.
More than $58 million is estimated for the sanitary sewers and drainage projects over a five-year period, starting in 2019 and ending in 2024.
In January, the council approved work for the fifth and final phase to take care of the east side of Lincoln Avenue, and the first phase of the West Presidential Streets.
The area targeted includes the 100 and 200 blocks East Jefferson and East Madison, North Vine between Adams and Jackson, North Penn between Adams and Madison, West Madison between Lincoln and Cedar, West Monroe, North Cherry between Madison and Jackson, 500 block of North Oak, and the 500 block of North Cedar.
That area’s early 20th century design included open ditches for remediation of stormwater. Because of naturally occurring sediment over the years, and residents filling in these ditches, there has been a history of drainage problems.
The old clay sanitary sewers cause that part of the city to experience standing water and localized flooding.
This year’s Capital Improvement Plan did not have this latest project listed for now — in fact, it’s not scheduled until 2024 — but Taylor wants the project moved to the next fiscal year, 2023, for construction costs because the existing one needs to be replaced. The 2024 plan lists $400,000 earmarked for it.
Recent comments by a resident at the June 28 committee meeting and city staff inspections has prompted this move, he told the aldermen.
A resident had asked if they could plug the inlet on Nixon between 712 and 714 W. Nixon Drive because it floods during heavy rains, but the staff said that could cause other flooding issues.
“There was a large sinkhole in his driveway,” Taylor said. “Other sinkholes had opened up in the area.”
Two other locations in the same subdivision have been identified for replacement work, too.
The work will affect the homes along the north side of West Nixon Drive from the outlet of the city’s storm sewer just east of Westbrook Court to North Madison Street.
More info on drainage
Improvements to the ditch, about 650 feet, would provide positive drainage from city streets and contributing storm sewer infrastructure. Continuing west from this drainage ditch, 500 feet of storm sewer improvements are desired for a deteriorating pipe from North Madison, toward Hesse Park and south to a tributary to Engle Creek.
Additional streambank erosion will be considered with the Engle Creek tributary, near the sewer outlet, Taylor said.
The first step is to hire Gonzalez Companies for engineering services related to the Westbrook drainage improvements at a cost of $45,100.
The committee approved the department’s request; the council is expected to act on a resolution at their Sept. 7 meeting.
Storm sewer and ditch improvements will provide positive flow away from the city infrastructure just south of Nixon Drive crossing Westbrook Court and 650 feet east, south and east again across Linden Court, just north of West Madison Street.
In 2019, the city spent $25 million on infrastructure improvements, mostly sewers, streets and waterlines. Last year, Taylor detailed four future projects would cost more than $6.5 million but were necessary for the city’s infrastructure.
Additional committee action
In other action, the committee approved moving forward an agreement with HMG Inc. for engineering services for distribution system water quality improvements at a cost of $49,500.
This includes chlorine booster systems at the Kyle and Seven Hills tanks, including the prefabricated fiberglass building, sodium hypochlorite feed system, controls, and appurtenances.
And it includes control valves in the 12-inch water mains at Scott-Troy Road, south of Keck Ridge, and O’Fallon-Troy Road west of Weil/Seven Hills, including 12-inch electrically-operated butterfly valves in a precast vault, controls, and appurtenances.
The work also features preparation of plans, specifications, bidding documents, and IEPA permit applications as part of the design engineering.
Taylor said in the summer of 2019, the IEPA mandated combined chlorine residual of 1 milligram must be maintained in all active parts of the city’s water distribution, which is double the previously required level.
Additional chlorine has been added over the past two years, he said.
More chlorine booster systems
Over the past year, the city has utilized the water system model to determine if adjustments could be made that would allow for a more evenly distributed chlorine residual throughout the system.
That model outcome has determined two additional chlorine booster systems should be installed at the Kyle and Seven Hills Water Towers. In addition, control valves should be installed at two locations in the existing system to better control the flow of water.
The public works committee includes Dan Witt, chairman; Ross Rosenberg, vice-chair; and aldermen Dennis Muyleart, Todd Roach, Roy Carney and Gwen Randolph