PETERSBURG, AK The first phase of work to repair the city of Petersburg’s water pipeline to Cabin Creek is nearly complete. That work, costing more than three-quarters of a million dollars, has included repairing, upgrading and cleaning the existing water line to the Cabin Creek reservoir. It aims to improve the performance of the pipeline and increase the flow of water from the reservoir to town.
Assistant public works director Chris Cotta told the city council Monday that the contractor doing the repairs found the pipeline, at its highest point, was 7-8 feet higher than it was supposed to be. Fixing the elevation meant blasting 400 feet of trench through bedrock.
The elevation of the pipeline may be a factor in negative pressure problems along the pipeline. The city has not yet seen a bill for the blasting work but that change and some other smaller changes could add close to $50,000 to the price tag for phase one. Cotta said all the work on phase one should be done around July 14th. That’s two weeks behind schedule but it still should have water flowing to town in time for the peak salmon canning season.
The city is using water off its smaller reservoir at City Creek, until Cabin Creek is back online.
Meanwhile, a second phase of work at cabin creek is still planned for later this year, after the salmon season. The state has given its approval for the city’s plan to install another pipeline intake through one of the drainage culverts that runs underneath the Cabin Creek dam.
At Monday's council meeting Mayor Al Dwyer questioned Cotta more about the pipeline’s height.
