By Vernon Robison

Moapa Valley Progress

Plans are being made to rehabilitate problem areas of the Overton sewer system according to a report delivered to the Moapa Valley Town Advisory Board (MVTAB) last week. The project to make repairs and updates to the nearly 40 year old system, which serves the downtown Overton area, is expected to cost an estimated $5 million over the next decade, according to Clark County Water Reclamation District (CCWRD) officials.

Earlier this year, contractors for the CCWRD conducted a comprehensive infiltration and inflow assessment of the system, explained CCWRD Engineer Adam Warner. This included a full inspection of every manhole in the system as well as filming video footage of every inch of pipeline in the old system.

“The purpose of the evaluation was to find out what condition the system is in and then set up a schedule to fix the problems with highest priority issues being addressed first,” Warner said.

“The study found that less than 30% of the system had issues,” Warner added.

Warner showed photographs of problem areas which had been taken during the study.

The assessment identified three segments of pipeline that were determined in poor condition and high priority. Photos from these areas showed old PVC pipe that had developed offset joints from soil settling. One of the areas was located on Thomas Ave. just east of Moapa Valley Blvd. The other two were located just to the north of Overton Park. The assesment scheduled these high priority areas to receive attention within one to two years.

Of immediate concern was also a number of manholes that flooded waters had eroded or that needed other repair. Many of these repairs had been done immediately, Warner said. Others were planned for the near future.

Other photos showed areas of pipeline where old clay pipes were cracked allowing seepage into the surrounding soils.

Warner explained that over the 10 year rehabilitation project, 83 pipelines and 229 manholes would be repaired. “Within the next ten years we will have everthing taken care of,” Warner said.

MVTAB member Dustin Nelson expressed concern that there was not more urgency to the repair work.

“Does no one else have an issue with this?” Nelson said. “Is this customary? I mean 30% of the system (having problems) is a big number and it bothers me.”

In a public comment period, Overton resident Ron Ward echoed the concern.

“They have just spent $14 million to build the new sewer line up into Logandale and it is a pipeline that goes nowhere and that no one is using,” Ward said. “And now we are looking at 20 years to do this $4 million in repairs. I found that unacceptable.”

But Warner explained that the assessment had been done according to established norms in the industry.

“The district selected G.C. Wallace, a well known engineering firm, to do the study,” Warner said. “They used a national standard with video of pipes and manhole inspection. In each case, they evaluated and ranked the years of useable life left in these areas of the system. This was the result.”

“Whenever you have groundwater entering infiltrating the system it is admittedly not a good thing,” Warner said. “But it was determined that there were no emergencies. We didn’t find any gushers, just areas where water is leaking. So we have developed a plan to get it taken care of.”

“I have to giggle at this a little bit,” said MVTAB member Gene Houston. “The fact that we have some cracks in the sewer system. We have over 50% of the community out there is on septic tanks that are doing the same thing; leaching into the groundwater little by little. So I think we ought to keep things in proper perspective.”