Saline To Invest In Eastbelt Sewer

Saline’s ongoing investments in revitalizing and expanding its aging infrastructure will continue in 2022. This time next year, the city is planning to replace its east belt sewer line with a new, expanded line.

“It’s a fairly extensive project. We’re talking about several thousand feet of sewer main and water main replacement,” City Manager Colleen O’Toole said. O’Toole said that this is being done partially because of the age of the infrastructure and partially due to capacity. “It’s undersized for the industrial businesses as well as the now residential areas that it is serving. It’s also eliminating some unnecessary redundancy underneath private property, which would be hard for us to maintain.”

The city is already investing millions expanding and upgrading its wastewater treatment plant partially because it is projected to not be of an adequate capacity for a growing community like Saline. The sewer will need to be expanded for the same reason, especially with a new housing development, Layer Farms, that will be relying on the line.

“It’s a major undertaking. It’s going to be the first of the belts to be done. I think there will be some lessons to learn as we move forward. I think it is the first of necessary steps to enhance our infrastructure,” City Councilor Janet Dillon said.

According to a memo from City Engineer Jeff Fordice, the $221,800 budget will extend and replace the “12 inch backbone” section of pipe of the sanitary sewer along a 3,900 foot stretch from Maple Road to Old Creek Drive.

“The limits are [2,400 feet] Maple Road from Maple Oaks Court to Michigan Avenue, [1,000 feet along] Old Creek Drive from Michigan Avenue South and [500 feet from] Bennis Road from Old Creek Drive. The sewer along the entire length will be upsized from some portions of the sanitary sewer main will be realigned within the existing Maple Road, Oak Creek Drive and Bennis Road right-of-way,” Marcus McNamara, a principal advisor at the architectural and engineering consultancy OHM wrote in a letter to Fordice. “

The whole process could take anywhere from 12 to 18 months.

“With the inclusion of Layer Farms, which will begin later this construction season, there will conceivably be people occupying units by the second or third quarter of 2022, it just needs to be done,” Saline Mayor Brian Marl said.

Image Credit: Tetra Tech.