Water Problems
Events over the past few months have shown that the supply of water to our City has limitations. The City contracts for water with Illinois-American Water Company (IAWC) in the amount of 10 million gallons per day. The average daily demand for our system is about 4.5 million gallons. When the system wide boil order was issued this summer, the O’Fallon water system was using approximately six million gallons per day due to the drought-like conditions and above normal temperatures. The system wide boil order was issued when IAWC experienced a break in one of their transmission lines in East St. Louis.
Since that time, we have learned that IAWC has no problem producing enough water for its customers. However, getting it to where it needs to be is problematic. As a result, IAWC has been working to determine if they have existing additional capability to get that water to their customers. From what we are seeing at our system’s point of supply, it would appear IAWC’s efforts are making things better.
So, what is O’Fallon doing? In March of this year, the City contracted with Burns and McDonnell to update the model of our system that they created in 1997 to allow the creation of a new master plan for the further improvement of the City’s water distribution system. The 20-year master plan that accompanied the 1997 model was becoming a bit out-dated even prior to its 10th anniversary. The 2005 effort has required a lot of data collection, in particular data from summer usage. That data collection was planned for the first week of August and has now been taken. When we commissioned the study, we knew the results would indicate that additional water storage and pumping was needed in the future, and the model would help us locate where that additional infrastructure would be best placed.
Additionally, the model will allow us to determine if more “looping” of water mains that we have been doing over the past eight years is needed to provide adequate water supply to a neighborhood from multiple directions. Looping provides additional pathways for water to get from where it is stored or pumped to the end users.
An example of “looping” is the recently completed main along Milburn School Road from Pausch Road to Old Collinsville Road. That main ties the City’s existing distribution system in Fairview Heights that lies along the Fairview Heights-O’Fallon border to the northwest area of O’Fallon. Another is the main under construction from Central Park Drive under I-64 to the intersection of Pierce and Green Mount Road. And, still another, is the connection of the main at the intersection of Fairwood Hills and Simmons with the mains at Venita and Highway 50, Obernuefemann and W. Madison, and Hinchcliffe Elementary. The immediate goal of the Burns and McDonnell study is to provide the City with the information needed to budget for required infrastructure, starting next year.
Reconstruction of Lincoln
The bids recently received for the project from Washington to East Jackson, nearly ½-mile, were more than the City could afford. So, the project will be broken into 2 parts with the first part to be done next summer during the school district’s vacation to minimize the disruption of normal traffic flow.
Micro-Surfacing
Approximately one mile of Smiley and 1/3 mile of White Pine received the surfacing, the first use of the process in O’Fallon. Micro-surfacing is a
cold-applied slurry of asphalt and fine stone with cement, plastic resins and water added. It is normally applied in two coats, each coat taking approximately four hours to dry to a point where traffic can be allowed to use the surface. The cost of the process is 25% that of a traditional asphalt overlay, and it is reported that it extends the life of the pavement about five to seven years. That makes it a cost-effective solution to maintaining road surfaces.
State Street Overlay Project
The project that was delayed earlier this year until late summer 2005 due to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s abnormally busy schedule, has now been put on hold until 2006. Unlike the Proposition S (City sales tax funded) road projects, federal dollars are involved in the State Street project, and we must use IDOT bidding and project award procedures.
O’Fallon-Troy Road
Congressman Jerry Costello was successful in gaining $1.34 million in funding for re-construction of the County’s road from Bethel School Road to Seven Hills Road in the recently signed National Transportation Act. County Engineer Darrell Cates has his engineers busy doing the needed design work on this county road. Due to the numerous right-of-way and easement issues involved in this stretch of road, actual construction of the 1.2 mile project may not occur until 2008.
Obernuefemann and State Intersection
The roundabout or traffic circle that the City gained federal funding for is under design. The diameter of the circle will be approximately 110-feet, and will not dramatically affect any of the nearby structures. The design speed through the roundabout will be 25 mph, which will slow traffic on the approach to it, but will not force as many stopping actions that are caused now by the intersection’s configuration, or the use of a traffic signal at the location. If all goes well with the design and the federal review process, construction could start late next year.
General Concrete Repairs
Please be alert for these much needed spot repairs in your pedestrian, bicycling and vehicular activities. These repairs will extend into late fall.
Additional I-64 Construction
Remember, in addition to the construction already underway between Caseyville and O’Fallon, IDOT will be letting a contract for additional overlay and ramp work east of Green Mount Road to be accomplished this fall and winter. This work will include repair to the bridge decks of South Lincoln Street and Main Street between O’Fallon and Shiloh, so beware of delays in those areas.
Sewer Investigations
Nearly eight miles of trunk line have been inspected this summer, and the report is not good. Anticipate the City needing to repair a good portion of this vital infrastructure, and please keep in mind that repairs of this sort are costly.
Public Safety Building Green Space
Fine grading of the acreage
adjacent to the Public Safety Building is well underway. Grading there will provide a 230-foot by 130-foot pond that will serve as a storm water control feature, a one-acre site for a Veterans Monument, and nearly 10 acres of green space for recreational activities.
Activity at Behrens Street Water Tower Property
The soil excavated to allow drainage improvements to the Seven Hills Water Tower property has been deposited at the Behrens Street Water Tower site. The area was fine graded in September and seeded to provide additional greenspace area for use by our residents. Two full size soccer fields will be placed there.
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