HomeMy Public PortalAboutAirport Sewer Memo 2-3-091 of 2
MEMORANDUM
TO: John Anderson, McCall Municipal Airport
FROM: Kevin R. Bissell, P.E.
DATE: February 3, 2009
SUBJECT: Status of McCall Airport Sewer Plans
John,
I have researched the status of the long delayed Airport Sewer Project in response to recent
discussions of funding the project through the proposed economic stimulus package. This memo
briefly recaps the history of the project and discusses our ability to quickly prepare the design for
bidding and construction on short notice.
In 1994, T-O Engineers designed a sewer system to serve hangars along Taxiway E and eliminate the
Krahn Street lift station. When complete, this system will connect to an existing sewer manhole near
the USFS Smokejumper base and provides gravity flow to the entire airport. Additionally, by
removing the Krahn Street lift station, gravity sewer would serve a large portion of the area east of
Highway 55 and costs associated with maintaining the lift station would be eliminated.
A portion of this system along Taxiway B was installed in conjunction with AIP ‘004 in 1995. Plans
for completing the system were resubmitted to DEQ in February 1998. This plan set was approved
for construction but shelved due to funding limitations.
In March of 2003, plans were again submitted and approved by DEQ for the portion of the sewer
system that runs parallel to Taxiway E. This segment was constructed in 2003.
The remaining unfinished portion of the project runs from the end of Taxiway B, under the Parallel
Taxiway and Runway 16-34, along the USFS Taxiway and terminates in an existing manhole. Once
this remaining 3,000 feet of sanitary sewer line is installed, the system will be complete and DEQ
sanitary restrictions that have been in place since the 1990’s may be lifted.
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T-O Engineers retains plans and specifications for the unfinished portion of the system. It would be a
relatively simple process to revise these documents and prepare them for bidding and construction. A
potentially significant cost-saving change includes the method of installing pipe under the runway
and taxiways. The 1998 design assumed pipe installed under these paved surfaces would be by bore
and not open cut trenching. At the time, the surface of Runway 16-34 was in good condition and
cutting the asphalt was not acceptable. In the years since, the runway has experienced longitudinal
and transverse cracking along with general weathering. Visual inspection and the current PCI report
indicate the runway is due for an overlay. Considerable cost savings could be realized by cutting the
runway and taxiways for the sewer installation instead of boring as originally planned.
I hope this information is helpful as the City decides on prioritizing potential economic stimulus
projects. Please contact me if you need additional information regarding this project.