By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP – Managing Editor
A sewer project that should help secure older lines along Sowell Road is in the early stages of development, according to Brewton officials.
The project, which will stretch along Sowell from Douglas Lane to Martin Luther King Drive, is aimed at alleviating some infiltration problems of older lines. As a way to take care of the problem, Utilities Superintendent Ray Madden said a fiberglass liner will be inserted into the old pipes.
The liners to be used are guaranteed against cracking and leaking for 50 years, but Madden said the life span of this liners could last as long as 100 years. He said the decision to use liners was one of cost.
The project will be funded through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $350,000. The city will match the grant with $100,000, giving the utilities department $450,000 for the project. The funds were originally applied for as part of a 1997 earthquake grant.
Currently, the project is in the engineering stage. Madden said he hoped that specs for the project will be completed within a month. He said the project could be let and work getting underway by February or March.
Within the next few weeks, Madden said the utilities department will conduct smoke tests on the sewer lines in that area to help locate trouble areas where infiltration might be occurring. He said residents will be notified once it is known when those tests will be conducted.
Another part of the project includes the placement of T-lines at the right-of-ways of houses. He said upkeep of the lines from homes to the T-lines will be the responsibility of the home owner.