The broken sanitary sewer line should be repaired by June 21, with an earlier completion date anticipated, according to Director of Utilities and Engineering Eugene Gussenhoven. The library sanitary line repair will be completed by June 15.
Currently, Art and Architecture North, Memorial Gym and the College of Education Health and Human Science are closed until the completion of the project. The library remains open with restrooms closed.
It is unclear how long the conditions of the pipes have been in their present state, according to Gussenhoven. He said the estimated age of the sanitary sewer line is 53 years old.
“Over the years, water has continually seeped into the Library basement with customers notifying Facilities of the issue most notably in Calendar Year 2018,” Gussenhoven said. “In January 2019, samples of the water were taken to determine source of the water and potential hazards. Discovering E. Coli bacteria in the samples led Facilities officials to investigate the sewer line with a camera and identified fracturing and de-laminating of the pipe walls.”
On June 6, the contractor attempted to clean the line by discharging water to clear debris. The walls of the pipe gave way at a point in between two manholes, causing the Facilities team to turn to the next method of least invasion, to trench-less pipe repair known as “pipe bursting.”
According to Gussenhoven, a High-Density Poly Ethylene pipe will be pulled through the existing line, destroying the already deteriorated concrete line.
Two large pits had to be constructed with the installation of a trench box to ensure safety of construction workers from collapse of pit walls.
While the contractor is on site, Facilities intends to correct aging-related issues to storm and sanitary lines that serve the Library and Memorial Gym. These repairs will negate the requirement for future financial resources being expended and further disruption of university operations, according to Gussenhoven.
“Without the “bursting method,” the University of Idaho would be required to engage in a much more invasive method or replacement requiring additional fiscal resources, Gussenhoven said. “Due to the urgent nature of the health, life and safety of the campus, the broader Facilities team is working to expediently repair the lines with a little disruption as possible.”
Ellamae Burnell can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @EllamaeBurnell