Lawrence Utilities Project Updates

3.2.2022 - PROJECT UPDATES

I am pleased to provide the following update for Lawrence residents and businesses concerning our ongoing water main and sanitary sewer improvements projects. 

The two water treatment plant improvement projects (Phase II Water System Improvements - Contract 'A') are in the final stages and we should be complete with them early this summer. These bond-funded projects, along with Contract 'B', which are bond-funded as well, represent $12.4M in improvements to the city's water infrastructure. 

Contract B includes work in the areas noted below and we expect the project to take a full year to complete: 

1. 46th Street - between Franklin and Shadeland
2. Elmhurst and Woodcroft Drives, between 46th and 47th
3. McGuire Court
4. Richardt Street - from 48th to 56th
5. Franklin Road - from 47th to 56th
6. Hermosa/Fall Creek Road - from Indian Lake Road to dead-end, including replacement of the water main that extends from Hermosa Drive to supply the Kroger complex at 79th & Fall Creek Road

The work on Hermosa Drive is nearing completion, with the contractor now focused on connecting the water service lines to the new main. Once we complete this and the connection for the feeder main to the Kroger complex, we will resurface the road and complete the other restoration work. We expect to be done with this work this summer. 

Work on Franklin Road is underway with the contractor installing the new main via underground directional drilling process and subsequent stages will include setting new hydrants, transferring water services to the new main and making the necessary connections to existing mains for the side streets. Once completed, we will resurface the areas affected by the water main work. 

Miller Pipeline will be starting work on the Maple Lane, Zoeller Ave. and Wallingwood Drive water main replacement project on or about March 14th. The first phase of the work will be the stormwater improvements on Wallingwood Drive and then the contractor will be starting new main installation on or about April 3rd. We expect to complete this work by the end of the year. These streets will be milled and resurfaced once the project is completed.  

52nd Street Elevated Storage Tank – the work on this water storage tank will start in the early fall of 2022 and will not affect traffic.

Meter Change-out Program – NECO completed the 2021-meter change out program the last week of February. This project included replacement of 2,500 meters. We will be starting an additional meter replacement project with NECO starting in June of 2022, when we will target an additional 2,500 meters for replacement.  

The Sewer Utility will be advertising for bids starting March 14 and expect to be under construction with our SWIF/ARPA-funded sanitary sewer rehab project in late spring. This project includes sewer main rehabilitation with CIPP (lining), sewer main replacement, manhole rehabilitation and service lateral improvements in the right of way. We will be working in areas one, three and five, as shown on the attached map. Future projects will target the remaining areas. In addition, once we address the sewer revenue issue with the rate increase we will be introducing soon, we will start rolling out many more sanitary sewer improvement projects in order to comply with our new Administrative Order on Consent we received from the EPA in November of 2021. 

The City has not adjusted sewer rates since 2009. We had planned to introduce a rate increase in early 2020 to take effect in late 2020, or January 1, 2021 at the latest, but the pandemic issue arose and we decided that it was the wrong time to seek a sewer rate increase due to the adverse economic impacts experienced by our customers and businesses.  

The impacts of the pandemic continue to affect not only our routine operating expenses, but also our capital improvements projects as well. Parts, materials and supplies are all seeing delays in shipment due to decreased production and shipping delays, and cost increases are hitting virtually all supplies, materials and parts. 

Please watch this space for more information regarding our water and sanitary sewer improvements projects.  

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me at ssalsbery@cityoflawrence.org with any questions or concerns regarding your water and sanitary sewer services.

Thank you,

Scott Salsbery, Supt.