Download FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE City Replaces Century

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: July 9, 2015
CONTACT PERSONS:
Brian Martin
City of Salem
503-588-6211
City Replaces Century-Old Pipes, Doubles Water Capacity
$1.7 Million Spent on Downtown Salem Infrastructure
A long overdue project to replace 100-year-old water mains in downtown Salem is nearing
completion.
The $1.7 million project, which upgrades infrastructure along Commercial Street SE and Liberty
Street SE, will nearly double the downtown area’s water capacity. New, larger pipes have been
installed to replace water mains originally buried beneath city streets between the 1890s and 1930s.
Brian Martin, an engineer with the city of Salem, said the improvements will increase the capacity
to deliver water from 5.7 million gallons per day to 10.2 million gallons per day. Besides
supporting growth in the downtown area, the improvements will provide an additional means to
deliver water to West Salem.
Water rates, as well as system development charges paid by builders, provided financing for the
public project.
Work on the project, which is six weeks ahead of schedule, started in March. The last details, such
as landscape repairs and cleanup activities, are now under way.
Gelco Construction Co., the contractor hired by the city, replaced a main trunk line with 2,150 feet
of 24-inch diameter pipe. The project also included installing 1,250 feet of 12-inch diameter pipe
and 143-feet of 18-inch diameter pipe.
The construction has occasionally caused traffic problems. In March, a contractor inadvertently
broke a 12-inch waterline, forcing the city to briefly close traffic lanes until the damage could be
repaired.
City engineers had long worried about the condition of the old pipes. About 15 years ago, a 100year-old water main burst along Liberty Street SE near the downtown fire station. The broken pipe
spewed millions of gallons of water and flooded nearby businesses before city crews found a way to
shut off the flow.
But what triggered the timing of the water main replacement was a pavement rehabilitation project.
Starting next week, a city contractor will begin repairing a half-mile of pavement on Commercial
Street SE between Ferry Street SE and Mission Street SE. Commercial Street SE will be closed
periodically at night to complete the paving work.
Before starting the pavement improvement project, it made sense to dig up the streets and replace
old pipes.
In addition to the water mains, a new sewer line was recently installed between Ferry Street SE and
Trade Street SE at a cost of $280,000. The new sewer line was installed as part of a city project to
eliminate a sewage pumping station by 2018, which will reduce cost and improve efficiency.
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