The De Soto City Council has taken more steps to help mitigate problems that contribute to the town’s flooding.
Council members voted 5-0 June 19 to award a $390,000 contract for Valley Place drainage improvements to the lowest of two bidders, PCX Construction in Arnold. Kimes Construction submitted the other bid for $559,950.
“Located at Valley Place between Main Street and Second Street, there is an old, large drainage system made out of old railroad tankers that the stormwater runs into and under Main Street,” city manager Todd Melkus said. “The issue is the pipe backs up and causes issues and there is a low-water crossing that also floods every time it rains. We are going to be taking out the pipe and making it an open basin with rock, grass, and trees along the banks.”
Melkus said that work will begin soon but will require a week of dry weather.
“We have our pre-construction meeting (the week of July 2), so (we) should know more after that,” he said June 28.
In addition, the city hired WM Mahn Plumbing Inc. in De Soto at a cost of $98,326 to eliminate illegal sanitary sewer connections.
Councilman Todd Mahn has no connection to the company, Melkus said.
A year and a half ago, intensive smoke testing was done throughout the city to find all types of illegal connections to sanitary sewers, such as sump pumps or gutters.
He said problems were found at 56 locations throughout the city, including some manholes that are not sealed correctly.
Melkus said some of the illegal connections and other problems are minor and others are more major.
“What happens when we get a heavy rain, the wastewater plant has an influx of flow and that shouldn’t occur,” Melkus said. “We’re hoping that when this all gets fixed, that it will reduce that inflow to the wastewater plant.”
Melkus said the project is being paid for with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
He said the project should begin in the next few months.
“Now that the bid has been approved, our engineering firm will get the contract signed and we will start moving forward,” Melkus said.