Wastewater Collection System Improvements: Phase 3

Last Updated: June 21, 2024

PROJECT TYPE:

Sewer Improvements

PROJECT VALUE:

$1,700,000

PROJECT SCHEDULE:

Bid Opening: March 2023
Construction: May 2023 – Ongoing

PROJECT UPDATES:

June 21, 2024 Update – Repair work for the Wastewater Phase 3 project happening along Edelweiss Alley and at Park & Cherry intersection this week on Thursday, June 20 – Friday, June 21. The contractor will be prepping and performing repair work at two targeted locations in Edelweiss Alley (one at 10th and one at 9th) and the intersection of Park Avenue and Cherry Street. Work will be performed during the day and should be minimally disruptive.

April 20, 2024 Update – Road restoration work has started! Work is kicking off today to restore the concrete, brick, and asphalt that was disturbed during the 9^th Street / Edelweiss Weg work that took place in March.

Work Schedule:
4/18 – 4/19:

Forming concrete; Pouring concrete; New concrete will be plated to restore alley access.

4/22 – 4/26:

Brick work and asphalt.

Traffic Control / Road Closures:4/18 – 4/19 and 4/22 – 4/26:

Edelweiss Weg is CLOSED at 9^th Street (impacts the 9^th to 10^th Street block of the alley).
Northbound lane of 9^th Street is a WORK ZONE.
Southbound traffic on 9^th Street is OPEN.
Northbound traffic between Commercial and US 2 is CLOSED.
9^th Street and Edelweiss Weg will be reopened to traffic Friday after the concrete pour is finished.

It is anticipated that both the sidewalk and road will be open to the public on Friday, April 26. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we wrap up the final restoration work for this project.

March 18, 2024 Update – Project work is starting today! However, due to an unexpected schedule change, the previously anticipated road closures scheduled for today along Ninth Street will now go into effect on Wednesday, March 20. Work will still be occurring in the Edelweiss Weg alley and traffic restrictions will be in effect (e.g., no vehicle traffic allowed; alley deliveries will be impacted during working hours). We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding during this infrastructure improvement. Questions? Call Rusty with Allied Trenchless at (509) 662-6622. NOTE: Closure dates and/or locations are subject to change to accommodate work.

February 7, 2024 Update – The last pipe run will be lined this March.

- - Monday, 3/18 – Friday, 3/22: Excavation work in the alley between 9^th and 10^th
    - Work will take place during daytime hours (7am – 6pm)
    - Alley will be generally inaccessible during this week
    - This work will be noisy, as there will be heavy machinery and likely rock drilling occurring
  - Tuesday, 3/26 – Wednesday, 3/27: Sewer lining work
    - Work will begin in the morning on Tuesday, 3/26 and continue overnight through Wednesday, 3/27
    - Sewer will be out of service from 9pm on Tuesday, 3/26 and is anticipated to be restored by 12pm (noon) on Wednesday, 3/27
  - Allied should have distributed notices last week and will be distributing flyers again the week of 2/19

January 9, 2024 Update – Next week, the contractor for the Phase 3 Wastewater project will be lining the sewer main on Edelweiss Weg (a downtown alley) between 8th and 9th Streets. This will impact sewer service to all businesses or residences between Front Street and Commercial Street between 8th Street and 9th Street. The scheduled maintenance will take place during the evening/night on Wednesday, 1/17/24 at 8pm until Thursday, 1/18/24 at 7am. During this time, the sewer line will be temporarily blocked. PLEASE refrain from all water use, including the use of dishwashers, bathtubs, washing machines, and sinks starting at 8pm on Wednesday, 1/17/24 until 7am on Thursday, 1/18/24. If flow from a business or residence continues during this lining process, the sewer line will back up into the building. Questions? Please contact Rusty at Allied Trenchless (509-662-6622) or Jared at Varela (509-670-9352).

November 15, 2023 Update – Due to unforeseen ground conditions, operations were not completed as planned. Equipment will be mobilized on Monday, November 20th to resume the lining operations in the EDELWEISS WEG ALLEY between 9th and 10th. A new schedule with an updated timeline is outlined below:

At 9:00 PM on 11/20/2023 Allied will begin lining the sewer main. There will be sewer interruption 9 PM – 11/20 2023 until 7 AM – 11/21/2023.

To facilitate operations, it is requested that you limit excessive water use, particularly from appliances such as dishwashers, bathtubs, and washing machines during that period (i.e., overnight).

The EDELWEISS WEG ALLEY will have the following interruptions due to spot excavations for the lining activities.

Monday 11/20/23 from 7am (11/20/23) until 7am (11/21/23) Alleyway Between 9^th and 10^th will be CLOSED to thru traffic.

Should you have any concerns or queries regarding this upcoming work, feel free to contact: Rusty at Allied Trenchless @ 509-662-6622 or Jared at Valera Engineers @ 509-981-6835.

November 7, 2023 Update – Next week Allied Trenchless, the contractor for the Phase 3 Wastewater project, will be lining the sewer main. This project will impact sewer service November 14^th-15^th. The contractor will be reaching out to businesses this week.

Prep work will begin in the alley at 9:00 a.m. each day on the section of pipe that will be lined in the evening of the same day.

At 9:00 p.m. customers asked to not discharge sewer after this time. At 7:00 a.m. sewer service will be restored.

Tuesday, 11/14: Alley between 9^th and 10^th will be closed during prep work near intersection with 10^th Street.

Wednesday, 11/15: Alley between 8^th and 9^th will be closed in the middle of the alley; Access will be permissible from either end of the alley, but through travel will not be possible.

Anticipated work is subject to change based on current conditions and progress during construction.

June 29, 2023 Update – Allied Trenchless, the contractor for this project, is currently cleaning, camera inspecting, and repairing sewer mains within the residential area. This work started in May. Allied Trenchless will be lining the sewer main later this summer: likely in the next 1 to 2 months. The cleaning and inspection phase of the work will not impact sewer service. Residents and businesses will be given a notice by Allied Trenchless prior to the lining work taking place, as the lining phase will impact sewer service.

May 22, 2023 Update – Due to delays in material procurement, the pipe lining work within Edelweiss Weg (the downtown alley) has been postponed. The Contractor is currently working in Edelweiss Weg; work includes cleaning and camera inspecting the sewer main, open excavating to repair damage, and installing a manhole. The pipe lining work in Edelweiss Weg will be rescheduled at a date and time to minimize the impact to business operation. Cleaning and camera inspection within the residential area is scheduled to begin later this week.

Timeline

Public Outreach

March 2023

Bid Opening

March 2023

Construction Starts (Approximated)

May 2023

Construction Complete

Spring 2024

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Andi Zontek-Backstrum, PE
CIP Manager/Deputy Public Works Director
Email: azontek@col.dev.3sherpas.com
Phone: (509) 548-5275, Ext. 134

OTHER INFORMATION:

Public Outreach Postcard March 2024

Project Area Exhibit

Public Outreach Flyer

In 2017, the City was awarded $19,500,000 in USDA Rural Development grants and loans to design and construct improvements to the wastewater collection and treatment system. Phase 1, which included improvements to the City’s wastewater treatment plant, was constructed between 2020 and 2022. Phase 2, which included the replacement of the City’s highest volume gravity sewer main, was constructed in 2020. Now, the project has reached Phase 3, which is the improvement of over 11,000 feet of sewer main throughout the City.

The project area extends throughout the residential area and downtown commercial core. The following streets are a summary of the project area. For more information, please see the figure linked below:

Residential Areas:

Alpensee Strasse
Birch Street: Ski Hill Drive to Cascade Street
Cedar Street: Cone Street to Fir Street
Central Avenue: Birch Street to Cedar Street
Clinton Street
Commercial Street: First Street to Third Street, Division Street to 14th Street
Mill Street: US Highway 2 to West Whitman Street, Benton Street to Prospect Street
Prospect Street: Mill Street to West Whitman Street
Scholze Street
Ski Hill Drive: Birch Street to Pine Street
Whitman Street: Ski Hill Drive to Woodward Street

Commercial Areas:

Commercial Street: 10th Street to Division Street
Edelweiss Weg (Downtown Alley between Front Street and Commercial Street)
Evans Street: Sherbourne Street to US Highway 2
Front Street: Division Street Intersection

The following exhibits show the proposed improvements for the project area:

Project Area Exhibit

Last modified: August 8, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where is this project located?

Work will take place throughout the City. More information can be found in the Project Area Exhibit linked above.

What are the purposes of this project?

The goal of this project is to rehabilitate the most critical pipes in the City's wastewater collection system. This will be done by lining the existing sewer pipes with a cured-in-place pipe. This essentially creates a new plastic pipe within the existing pipe without requiring excavation.

I live, work, or own a building in the project area . How will this impact me?

While the contractor is working on the section of sewer main that your house or business is connected to, you will be asked to not discharge any wastewater. This includes activities like flushing a toilet, using a shower, and running a dishwasher. We anticipate that this will last a maximum of one business day between the hours of 7am and 6pm. You will receive more detailed notifications before this work is to take place.

How will this project impact traveling through the residential area of the City?

The majority of the work will be completed with relatively minor traffic impacts. Within the residential area, please expect a single lane closure or a shoulder closure. Traffic delays due to the project should be less than 5 minutes long.

How will this project impact deliveries to the downtown commercial core of the City?

Please note that this work has been delayed due to material procurement. The pipe lining work in Edelweiss Weg will be rescheduled at a future date and time to minimize the impact to business operation. During the days that work is taking place on Edelweiss Weg, the downtown alley that is located between Front Street and Commercial Street, delivery vehicles will not be able to access the alley between the hours of 7am and 6pm Monday through Friday. It will be each business' responsibility to coordinate this with their delivery vehicles. We anticipate this impact will be a maximum of two weeks.