Water and sewer crew reports boulder, delays pushing force‑main work into November

Public works staff gave a field update on the Central/Merrimack Street force‑main replacement and the board heard that crews are using HDPE bypass piping while making the open cut. Jeff (speaker 6), the water and sewer presenter, said crews “actually had to dig a hole beside it and push it in because it was too large to move,” after encountering a sizable boulder in the trench.

Jeff described the schedule impact: crews are averaging about 80 feet per day in tight conditions and the unpredictability of subsurface obstructions has pushed the completion estimate toward the end of November. He also noted the contractor encountered a gravity-feed sewer and that crews are repairing laterals as they go. Board members and staff discussed access, paving coordination, and the need to keep the public informed of road closures and timing.

The board heard additional maintenance items from the water and sewer team including hydrant flushing planned for mid‑October, valve service expediting at booster stations, and the need to replace a $1,000 backhoe hydraulic tank (repair vs replacement estimated at about $6,500 for a full replacement). Officials said equipment failures and unanticipated repairs are being managed through existing budgets and reserves where possible.