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The Big Rapids Department of Public Works will conduct an exploration project to locate and identify lead water service lines in the downtown area that will need replacement this summer, which will involve tearing up sidewalks.
The Big Rapids DPW will be conducting exploration of water service lines to identify lead pipes this summer, which will involve using a vacuum truck to remove dirt on either side of the curb stops (pictured) along streets in the downtown area.
The Big Rapids DPW will be conducting exploration of water service lines to identify lead pipes this summer, which will involve using a vacuum truck to remove dirt on either side of the curb stops (pictured) along streets in the downtown area.
BIG RAPIDS — The Big Rapids Department of Public Works will host a public meeting at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 5, at City Hall, 226 N. Michigan Ave., Big Rapids, to discuss an upcoming project to explore water lines through out the city to identify lead or galvanized pipes.
DPW engineering technician Cody Wyman told the Pioneer that during the pre-construction meeting, representatives from Pipetek, USI, the company doing the exploration, and DPW employees will be available to let business owners and residents know what the project will involve.
“We wanted to get the word out that is going to be taking place,” Wyman said. “I would like to have the downtown businesses and area residents come out to the meeting and learn what it will be about.”
Wyman explained that in the pre-1950 service line area, which is mostly the downtown area, lead gooseneck and galvanized service lines were used, and that is what is being replaced.
“We started with 2,588 water service lines that we know of that are in the city,” he said. “We replaced 47 in 2019 and 49 in 2020. Last year we did an exploration and found 60 more. We have narrowed it down and discovered that there are 528 lines that we know nothing about and that is what we will be doing the exploration on.”
He said the company will be in the city for a couple of months this summer with a vacuum truck which will vacuum out the dirt on either side of the curb stops in the areas they need to examine, to expose the pipes so that workers can determine if they are galvanized or copper pipes. The galvanized pipes will then be identified for replacement in 2023.
“The downtown area is going to be an extreme challenge because there is a lot of traffic, and a lot of concrete,” Wyman said. “The concrete will have to be busted up to get to the dirt and pipes underneath. From our records we can assume there is going to be a lot of galvanized pipes downtown, which will mean a big project coming up in 2024-2025.”
He added it is likely that the businesses downtown will be impacted somewhat during the exploration process, so they want to be strategic about how they approach it.
“We want people to be able to come to the meeting, if they have any concerns and share any ideas they have that may help us with the project,” he said. “The state has mandated that this has to be done, and we are ahead of the curve because we have been replacing gooseneck pipes since the 80s. This year will just be an exploration project, and then we will have a master list to show exactly what we have to repair.”
Three years ago, Michigan put in place rules requiring every municipal water system to replace its lead service lines a rate of at least 5% per year until there are none left. The deadline for replacement is 2045.
For more information on the meeting, visit cityofbr.org or call 231-592-4020.
Cathy Crew has a bachelor's degree in English with teacher certification. She taught ELA for 15 years. She grew up around this area, and recently returned to Big Rapids after having lived in Texas for many years. Her favorite pastimes are traveling and spending time with her two adult children.