SOLON– Measures to correct the depth of a water main extending to the Gallery Acres West (GAW) rural subdivision will begin soon, according to Public Works Director Scott Kleppe.
Kleppe reported on the languishing project during committee reports at a May 19 meeting of the Solon City Council.
The GAW homeowners’ association approached the city over four years ago seeking assistance in dealing with unacceptable levels of arsenic in the subdivision’s drinking water.
The association qualified for a 75 percent forgivable loan through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to help finance an 8-inch water line from the Solon city limits to the development’s 14 homes adjacent to the Lake MacBride Golf Course.
Kleppe attended a Monday, May 17, construction meeting attended by the contractor and engineer for the project, along with GAW representatives and assistant county engineer Ed Bartels.
Plans and specifications approved by city council, county engineer’s office and GAW required the water mains to be 6 feet deep, he said.
“Over half of the water main length put in the ground was shallower than 6 feet,” Kleppe told council members.
Work to correct the depth of the mains is expected to begin within weeks, he added.
A number of weeks ago, he said, spot checks were conducted, with the main exposed and the depth calculated. Problem areas were identified with mains between 5 1/2 and 6 feet deep, and mains shallower than 5 1/2 feet, he said.
Contractors discussed being able to make up some of that depth with reshaping of the ditches, he noted.
“There’s a lot of area that they can do that, but there’s also going to be some areas where they’re going to have to dig up a section of water main and lower it,” he explained.
Although all of the main is in the ground, he said, not a drop of water has run through it yet.
The plan is to go incremental steps, he stated. Contractors expect to start near the city and work in 1,000-foot sections.
Once a section meets depth requirements, the city will flush it, pressure test it, conduct a bacteria test and make sure all pass before crews can move on to another section, Kleppe said.
Work is anticipated to conclude this summer, he added.
“All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best for the users at Gallery Acres West,” he added.