Workers line storm drainage system

By COREY NOLES

Statesman Staff Writer

An ongoing sewer project by the city is the reason for the big trucks around downtown Dexter.

The downtown underground drainage system is getting some "much-needed" improvements, according to City Administrator Mark Stidham.

"All of that underground drainage was put in when the city was formed," Stidham said, noting that the year was 1897. "Since Stoddard St. was the main road, the city grew around it."

As the city grew over the last century, the size of the underground storm drainage has become less and less adequate.

Aside from size issues, over time the aging pipes have busted and collapsed in places. Dirt has piled into some areas and in other areas water has escaped eroding around the pipe.

Stidham said the city would like to pave Stoddard St., but decided not to because with the sewer problems, they would likely be cutting holes in the new road to make more repairs. There were also fears that with the amount of material already on the road, any more might collapse the existing storm drainage.

Several months ago, the city hired Visu-Sewer of Wisconsin to come run a camera through the city's storm drains and clean them at the same time.

After that, they presented a report to Stidham including countless hours of storm drainage footage showing the inside of the lines around downtown Dexter.

As opposed to ripping up the streets to fully replace the drainage system, the city chose a different route.

Through a similar process to the cleaning, Visu-Sewer runs an epoxy sleeve through the city's drainage system. Once in place, the sleeve is heated and then hardens.

"It will be as hard as and as big as the pipe that is there now," Stidham said. "It basically becomes a new drainage pipe."

On main lines where cross streets and alleys come together - every place gutters and inlets need to be - a robot is sent down to cut out the opening so cross streets can be tied in.

While the project actually began in 2011, it has been on the list of things that need to be done for years.

The project is expected to cost the city approximately $200,000 before its completion which Stidham says should be in approximately two weeks.

In an effort to curb some cost, the city will be making a few needed replacements on its own.

One such spot is on Locust St. where a line heading toward Stoddard decreases in size instead of getting larger as it goes.

"When it's done, we shouldn't ever have to worry about it again," Stidham said.

The hope, he said, is to have the street paved before the county fair parade in September. He said the street has been paved over so many times that it will have to be ground down in places for it to work correctly.

In some places the water has gotten deep enough that when cars drive through it creates a wave that washes water over the curb and can run into businesses.

Repairs are also being done on the varying grates to level them with the road and improve or replace them if necessary.

"A lot of the grates, like the one in front of the post office, are in bad repair," he said. "We're getting the pipes fixed now and then we'll bring all of the grates up to level with the street."

The project is being done in three phases. Phase one was in 2011 when the company came to clean and inspect the drainage system. Phase two is the process of lining the drainage which is taking place now. The third phase will be the paving.