Water project planned on Fourth Avenue East
Enterprise funds make up about $18 million of the $46.8 million spending plan that the city of Kalispell is proposing for the next fiscal year.
They include water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and solid waste operations that draw much of their revenues from utility customers and represent some of the city’s costliest and most complex public services.
An estimated $800,000 water-line and street repair project on Fourth Avenue East North is a big part of Kalispell’s $5.1 million water budget.
The project between Oregon and Center streets replaces 2,000 feet of water main — a cast-iron line that dates back to 1925 and has sprung numerous leaks.
It also rebuilds a pockmarked stretch of Fourth Avenue East North where crews have had to dig down to fix leaks. The road needs to be repaired and the water line needs to be replaced, so both are rolled into one big project.
“We’re kind of looking at the street and six feet under, to make sure that all the utilities under the street are up to date and functioning,” said Susie Turner, director of public works.
The project will be surveyed this summer, designed this fall or winter and advertised for bids for construction in spring or summer 2014.
The public works department also plans to wrap up several carryover projects — projects that were in last year’s budget but did not get done.
A $210,000 water main replacement on Second Avenue West North is almost complete. It’s replacing 800 feet of corroded six-inch line between Washington and California streets with an eight-inch line.
Kalispell recently awarded a $290,000 contract to replace four-inch and six-inch water lines along South Woodland Avenue, Lehi Lane, Greendale Court and Rogers Court with an eight-inch line. The project brings inadequate fire protection flows up to city standards; the work should start soon.
Also waiting to be done are $120,000 in repairs to two lower-zone water reservoirs.
The large reservoir tanks — one holds 2.8 million gallons and the other holds 1.7 million gallons — have developed significant cracks in their walls that need to be sealed with a pressure epoxy injection process.
“We’ll go out for bids this summer and we want to do it in the fall after sprinkling is down because we do have to take the tanks down,” Turner said.
Other carryover capital improvement projects in the budget would install backup power for control systems at Sheepherder reservoir for $16,000 and a new backup generator at Noffsinger spring for $90,000.
Grant requests to pay for large portions of both projects have been submitted.
This year’s budget — combined with a $5.62 increase in the administrative charges customers pay as part of their water bills — would leave the water fund with an ending cash balance of about $2.9 million.
That total includes $1.5 million in operating cash, $411,000 in impact fee cash, $156,000 in meter replacement cash, $411,000 in restricted bond reserves and $400,000 in emergency reserves.
Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.