2011 Wastewater Projects
In 2007, the Fall River Village Board began the process of studying the Village’s wastewater treatment system in an attempt to determine the current system’s remaining useful life and options for the future. To accomplish this task, MSA Professional Services was hired in September of 2007 to prepare a Wastewater Facility Plan for the village. This report examines the capabilities and limitations of the village’s current wastewater treatment lagoon system that was originally constructed in 1967. The plan was discussed with village residents at a December 2009 public hearing.
After reviewing the options presented in the Facility Plan and the costs and benefits of each, the Village Board determined that the wastewater treatment option most beneficial to village residents in the long run would be to regionalize with the City of Columbus. After several months of negotiating, the Village of Fall River and City of Columbus reached an agreement in May of 2010 that would allow Fall River to pump wastewater to Columbus for treatment.
In addition to the regionalization project, the Village will be replacing a stretch of sewer main running behind the houses on the lower side of South Main Street. This will greatly reduce the amount of groundwater that enters this aging section of sewer main and that must be pumped to a treatment facility.
Regionalization Project
This project consists of two main parts: Relocating and upgrading the Village's main lift station, and constructing a pipeline from the lift station to connect to Columbus' collection system. The main lift station will be moved to the Village Park where the old, unused restrooms are now located. The pipeline to Columbus will, for the most part, follow the road right-of-way along Johnson Road to Highway 16 into Columbus. This forcemain will connect to the Columbus wastewater collection system near the intersection of Highway 16 (W. James St.) and Charles Street.
Bids for the regionalization project were opened on May 13 at the Fall River Village Hall. At their May 18 meeting, the Fall River Village Board awarded the contract for the lift station construction to the low bidder, Miron Construction Company, Neenah for the amount of $1,938,963.32. Also at the May 18 Village Board meeting, the contract for forcemain construction was awarded to the low bidder, Advance Construction, Inc., Green Bay for the amount of $1,787,463.00. Engineering services for this project are being provided by MSA Professional Services (www.msa-ps.com).
Construction should begin in July and is expected to be complete in the spring of 2012.
South Main St. Sewer Rehabilitation Project
This project involves replacing the sewer main that is located behind the houses on the lower side of South Main Street from the railroad tracks to the Village Park. This is one of the oldest sections of the Village's sanitary sewer system. Currently, there is considerable infiltration of groundwater and surface water into the sewer main during and after rain events. This results in unnecessarily high amounts of wastewater entering the collection system. Reducing the amount of inflow and infiltration (I/I) will reduce the costs associated with pumping and treating those extra gallons.
Bids for this project were opened at the Village Hall on May 18, 2011. A contract was awarded to the low bidder, Advance Construction, Inc., Green Bay for the amount of $375,335.85 at the June 7 meeting of the Fall River Village Board. Consulting engineering firm on this project is General Engineering Company, Portage (www.generalengineering.net).
Construction on this project has been substantially completed. Final inspections will take place in the spring of 2012.
