City awards final sewer contract

Published 12:40 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

NORTH BEND – A $568,574 contract for the final phase of sewer improvements for the city’s historic downtown district have been approved by the City Council.

Kirkland-based Mid-Mountain Contractors was awarded the contract for the project, aimed at reducing the amount of rainwater and sewer water in the system, at the June 16 meeting.

Work on the improvement project is scheduled to take place from July through September in the alleys of downtown. The project is funded by a loan from the Department of Ecology.

Mid-Mountain will use a technique called pipe-bursting to complete the project. Pipe-bursting is a much less invasive technology than trench digging. The process uses a metal spear-shaped head attached to a flexible pipe. That pipe is pulled by a chain through the existing pipe causing it to burst. The new pipe is dragged behind the chain and slides into place. The only invasive work is excavating for the side sewer connection points to reconnect the services and pits at both ends of the pipe runs.