| Construction continues on the utility relocation project along U.S. Highway 6 between Price and Wellington. The work, commissioned by Price River Water Improvement District but paid for indirectly by the Utah Department of Transportation, is part of the highway improvement project on U.S. 6 between the two Carbon County towns. |
The Price River Water Improvement District conducted a preliminary review of projects totalling $1 million during the regular board meeting last week.
“We have laid these out so that you can see what needs to be done and so you can prioritize the projects,” explained assistant PRWID manager Jeff Richins.
The board was handed a preliminary design for each of the projects and each were reviewed in detail in terms of where and the scope of the projects.
Included were eight projects, which are mainly end of line extensions or additions for homes that were not included during the initial installations of sewer services years ago.
“One of the things we are trying to do is to clear up the septic tank problems that some of these areas have been having,” said district manager, Phil Palmer. “It’s true that these are some expensive projects, based on their scale but they are necessary due to sanitary problems.”
The eight projects would include about 60 hookups. Each hookup would cost the homeowner an impact fee of $800.
The improvements include three small projects in Spring Glen, two in Carbonville, one south of Price to eliminate an existing lift station, one in the Bawdenville area and one near Wellington.
As the board reviewed the improvements, there were a lot of questions from members about costs and the scale of the projects.
The most expensive project will be near Mountain States Road and 1500 West, where a bore will need to be made under the Union Pacific Railroad line to connect the homes and businesses east of the tracks to the line near Carbonville Road.
“This project is the most expensive because it is the most complicated,” said Richins. “The bore is one of the reasons.”
The project will provide sewer services for the homes east on 1500 West to Prazen Lane.
Another project that generated a lot of discussion is the one near Wellington. To provide service to the homes in the area in the least expensive manner, PRWID would have to run the sewage through lines owned by Wellington to where the lines dump into the collection trap sends the materials to the treatment plant.
Residents have been informed that Wellington would charge a wheelage fee for the use of the city’s lines. Apparently, the residents have agreed to cover the related costs.
However, Wellington City Council’s approval of the plan was still up in the air on the night of the meeting. Possible annexation of the homes involved has been an issue on the minds of Wellington City leaders. While some city officials wish to annex the area, residents have reportedly not supported the action.
No cost per individual project was provided by district personnel during the preliminary presentations. But Palmer said PRWID would provide the approximate costs for the projects at the next board meeting.
In other business, the board received a report on the snowpack and moisture content in two drainages that affect PRWID’s supply.
Based on a Jan. 6 report, the Mammoth drainage registered at 99 percent of normal water content and the White River drainage had 77 percent. The next day, new figures came out and reflected more realistically the current content of the water shed, based on the fact the first one was taken right after a storm and that no snowfall has hit the area since the end of December.
That latest report placed snow pack in the total Price River drainage at about 74 percent.
In an unrelated matter at the PRWID board meeting, a report on the relocation of lines for the Utah Department of Transportation on the Wellington-Price Road project showed good results.
“We still have Old Wellington Road closed, but it will be opened back up soon,” said Palmer. “We had to close the road because in changing things around we had to move the pressure regulating station into the middle of that street. ”
The PRWID manager indicated that the contractor is moving along well, even though some problems have cropped up.
“It’s just the typical construction project,” noted Palmer. “There are always things that don’t work like they are supposed to. But the good weather has helped the project move right along.”
Palmer indicated that several asements along the corridor have not been secured, but he felt confident the process would becompleted soon.
The PRWID board authorized partial payments of $52,295and $20,275 to the contractor and engineering company. More than 6,800 feet of pipe has been laid and the project is about 50 percentcompleted. The total project cost will be about $170,000, which will be reimbursed to the water district by Utah Department of Transportation.