NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council on Tuesday approved usage of funds from the state revolving loan fund to pay for water line improvements.
"This project involves the replacement of approximately 1.4 miles of six-inch cast iron water line," said Public Works Director Brian Clennan. "It's located generally between 9th and 17th Avenue and between Maple and Cochran. Those water lines were installed between 1922 and 1961 and have had a combined 82 water line breaks on that series of 1.4 miles in their lifespan. To fund this project, the city of Hutchinson is seeking a loan of $1.2 million from the Kansas State Revolving Fund, with an estimated principal forgiveness of $600,000."
The interest on the loan is estimated at 2.36% for up to 20 years.
"We submitted plans to KDHE back in early August," Clennan said. "We expect approval of those plans and specifications to be done around the first of February, which means, we'll be opening bids somewhere in mid-March, with construction beginning around mid-June and wrapping up toward the end of November."
This doesn't fix the overall water line problems in the city, but it's a start.
"We're slowly building," Clennan said. "Ideally, I'd like to be replacing three to three and a half miles a year. That's really where we need to be in order to start catching up to replacing some of that aging infrastructure and helping correct the number of water main breaks. Also, the affordability of our water rates is also important, so trying to walk that balance and have rate increases that are affordable and still have enough money and revenue generated so we can invest in our infrastructure."
Where possible, the water lines will be placed behind the curb so they don't have to tear up streets, except where lines tie in.