FAQ: Eastside Sewer and Water Project
What is this project?
The Eastside Utilities Project will provide municipal water and sanitary sewer to coming Liberty High School and other development on North Liberty’s east side.
How much will this cost to construct?
The trunk sewer will cost an estimated $4 million to construct. The water main will cost an estimated $2 million.
When did this project start?
City staff anticipated the need to expand services as the town’s population continued to grow, with updates to its water and waste water plans finalized in June 2013 after months of study and discussion. When the Iowa City Community School District announced plans to open a new high school in North Liberty for the 2017 school year, the city needed to expedite plans to provide municipal services to the area.
Engineers began to assess possible routes for the water main and sanitary sewer in 2013. Preparation included surveying, environmental impact studies and initial discussions with potentially impacted property owners.
The current route was selected in May 2014 and the city began to work with property owners to purchase underground property rights and temporary construction easements and address concerns.
How many property owners are directly affected?
We have worked with 13 property owners to purchase underground property rights for municipal pipes and temporary above-ground access for construction.
What happens when construction is complete?
When construction is complete, the ground will be returned to a usable condition and replanted with appropriate plants, including field crops, trees and grasses.
Has the city studied the environmental impacts?
Yes. As part of planning and design, Griggs Environmental did field work in June 2014 and prepared a report assessing the potential impact. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and US Army Corps of Engineers must grant permission for the construction. Before they grant permission, the Corps and the IDNR will determine if additional environmental studies are needed and identify any additional mitigation work the project should include.
Will this project impact threatened or endangered plants or animals?
During field work, Griggs found that no protected plants or protected native prairie grasses will be disturbed by during construction. The firm also looked for endangered or threatened species and found none. Should any protected species be found during construction, we’ll work to mitigate any harm.
What alternatives were considered?
After initial study, project engineers did further analysis of two sanitary sewer route options: “Muddy Creek,” which follows the water way, and “Deep Cut,” which follows a more northerly route.
The route along the Muddy Creek basin had a number of advantages including:
- an estimated cost of $1,497,100 less to construct
- avoided extremely rare pipe depth of 50 feet or greater that the Deep Cut route would require
- pipe at standard depths would be safer for workers during construction
- long-term maintenance costs would be lower
- it could serve a larger area
- future connections would be easier and less expensive to make
- less land disturbed during construction
What happens now?
Engineers are finalizing designs so the project can go to contractors for bid in late February, with construction beginning in the spring and completed in June 2016.
12 property owners have voluntarily agreed for underground and temporary construction easements. Because of the high school’s timeline, the remaining easement was awarded through eminent domain in February.
With the contract awarded, work is expected to begin in March.
If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Learn more about other North Liberty projects here.
