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Fort Wayne hopes to begin spending its federal stimulus money this summer on the $240 million project to keep raw sewage out of area rivers.
The Fort Wayne Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved three sewer-separation projects in an effort to keep rain from overflowing sewage pipes.
The projects will help almost 700 customers – mostly homeowners in different areas of town. The smallest project will be at Penn Avenue, near Clinton Street and Lima Road. The largest will be in the neighborhood around Vance and Parnell avenues. The final project will be west of Anthony Boulevard between Pettit Avenue and Paulding Road.
In total, the projects will cost almost $5 million. The city received a $1.5 million stimulus grant and a $3.5 million low-interest loan, which will be used to finance the work.
During heavy rains, the combined sewer and storm pipes overflow, sending the mixture of rain and sewage directly into the city’s rivers. By creating storm sewers separate from the sanitary lines, less sewage will have an opportunity to overflow.
The federal government mandated the city spend $240 million to reduce the amount of sewage going to the rivers.
Matthew Wirtz, City Utilities deputy director for engineering, said the work will begin this year and the two smaller projects could be complete before 2010. He said the city has until 2011 to spend the stimulus money, which also will be used for a future pipe-lining project.
