By Beacon Staff
The sewer separation construction project on Locust and Main streets has continued well beyond the targeted end date. That being the case, it has created a lot of "heartache," according to Nick MacGregor of the city's public works department.
Construction began on Aug. 23, and the closure of the intersection was intended to last for a week. Due to unforeseen sewer infrastructure design, however, it will not open until mid-October. MacGregor spoke to the city council during the closing minutes of Monday's council meeting.
“You don’t encounter that very often, where you have one sewer line inside another,” MacGregor said. He noted that two water lines have been moved, but sanitary connections have to be installed..
The construction is part of the initial phase of a decades-long sewer separation project. Two of the three sewer basins are already separated by storm and wastewater. However, the basin currently being separated is the largest and most complex. Burlington is under mandate by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency.
