The council approved the contract Tuesday with Allied Trenchless, LLC of Chelan, the lowest of three bidders and the only in-state company to submit a proposal.
Thomas Hunter, Port Angeles public works and utilities director, said the aging sewer main has significant erosion, corrosion and cracks along a 2,430-foot section between First and Eighth streets.
A cure-in-place pipe liner will be used to seal the 24-inch clay-and-concrete pipe, extending the life of the sewer main by up to 40 years, he said.
“This sanitary sewer main is a critical component of the city’s wastewater system,” Hunter said in a council memo.
The engineer’s estimate for the work was $840,000. The Public Works and Utilities Department budgeted $880,000 for the project in 2021.
No trenching or earthwork will be required, Hunter said.
“The section of sanitary sewer main needing rehabilitation was installed as part of the original county sewer in 1915,” Hunter said.
“It serves as the primary sanitary main for 60 residential and 20 commercial blocks serving approximately 3,000 city customers in central Port Angeles.”
A 10-foot section of the old pipe collapsed under South Lincoln Street between Fourth and Fifth streets in December 2019, requiring a $175,000 emergency repair.
Such repairs are costly due to the 12- to 15-foot depth of the pipe, poor soil quality, instability and road surface restoration, Hunter said. Much of South Lincoln Street was built on top of fill.
Recent closed-circuit television inspections revealed erosion, corrosion and “significant cracking” along the half-mile section of pipe under Lincoln Street from First to Eighth streets, Hunter said.
“In addition to the sanitary sewer line, 11 brick manholes will be lined and restored to seal and eliminate ground water inundation, increase strength and improve safety,” Hunter wrote.
The council added the construction contract to its consent agenda and approved it without discussion Tuesday.
Other bids were submitted by companies in Chesterfield, Mo. and Brownsville, Wis.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at [email protected].
