Columbia Sewer Utility proposes new public sewer for West Stewart road area
COLUMBIA, Mo.
The City of Columbia Sewer Utility is proposing to replace a privately maintained sewer system near the intersection of South West Boulevard and West Stewart Road.
If approved, the utility would construct a new public sanitary sewer to serve the affected property owners.
According to Assistant Utilities Director Tom Ratermann, the project will affect just five homes on West Stewart Road and one on South West Boulevard. The plan calls for a new sewer line that would connect each property to the public system.
“These private sewers, they don't have a lot of access points to them. So, if there is some kind of stoppage in the line, there's no good way to remove it and to clean it and to get the stoppage out," Ratermann said. “So what the city plans on building will have a structure at least every 400 feet, and every place where there's a bend in the line so that they can be maintained.”
Ratermann added the city is at least a year away from starting construction, as officials still need to finalize the design and secure easements from property owners. No major traffic disruptions are expected, aside from a possible lane closure on South Greenwood Avenue.
The project is part of the city’s ongoing Private Common Collector Elimination program, which started in 2008. Private common collectors are major sources of stormwater inflow and infiltration into the sewer system, and the city says replacing outdated private sewers helps prevent backups and overflows.
“This project is more preventive maintenance,” Columbia Utilities spokesman Jason West said in an email. “There have not been any major issues yet, but these private common collector systems can cause bigger problems because the city is not able to properly maintain them. The PCCE program helps the city perform regular maintenance to hopefully avoid major problems down the road.”
West said the PCCE is funded through an enterprise fund included in the city’s budget.
Since 2008, the PCCE program has included multiple projects throughout the city, though officials do not have a total cost available for all 18 years of work. Currently, the city is working on nine PCCE projects, with at least five more planned.
“The overall system is functioning well and as intended,” West said. “While there are newer parts that are functioning at a high level, we are also focused on repairing and updating older parts such as this one to keep the system functioning properly.”
The city held a public meeting Wednesday at City Hall to discuss the proposed sewer improvements.
