Progress continues apace on county sewer projects east and west of Decatur

Good news kept coming at the February meeting of the Adams County Regional Sewer District Board, with district engineer Ben Adams saying work at Magley is expected to be completed by its scheduled March 1 date and Clem’s Lake South to be done by its set date of May 27.

District superintendent Nate Scherer added that, at Magley, the sewer line is being pressure-tested and the lift station will soon be finished, although, with the wet weather, the area is “a sloppy, muddy mess.”

Scherer said the Clem’s Lake South area has six or seven lateral lines in place, the main sewer line installed, but no grinders yet operating. He had the same comment about the wet ground conditions, saying, “It’s a mess out there.”

The superintendent noted that on US 224 in the Magley area, temporary stoplights will be erected soon to replace human flaggers guiding traffic.

He also reported that he plans to buy a few newer grinders to start the process of upgrading those in Project One to match the grinders in use in Projects Two through Five.

Along CR100W at the edge of Decatur, seven homes will be connected to the sewer system after the homeowners are asked by the sewer agency at attend a meeting before the work begins. Adams noted that there are a few other homes just outside the city limits to be added to the sewer system in years ahead.

At Monmouth, said Scherer, there is a water infiltration/ inflow problem being investigated to find the source. He said when spring weather arrives, smoke testing will also be done to locate the problem.

In the Preble and Peterson area, Scherer reported, the county health department will be asked to send letters to 20 homes, the majority of them not yet connected to the sewer system, with the owners of the few remaining houses having not yet crushed their old and now-unused septic tanks, as required.

Scherer further said he attended the February 6 meeting of the Decatur City Council to inform the new members about the sewer board and its activities.

With board member John Summers absent, the other five members voted unanimously to approve these payments:

• Payroll of $8,160.80

• Monthly bills of $92,443.28

• $1,105.58 to Commonwealth Engineering for Project Three

• $428.73 to Commonwealth and $116,011.99 to Fleming Excavating for Project Four

• $31,514.11 to Commonwealth, $420,087.66 to Fleming Excavating, $570 to the county recorder’s office, and $229,857.97 to Underground Contractors for Project Five

• $122,181.04 to Fleming Excavating, primarily for road paving in the Oakwood area in Project Four