City of Jackson plans to enlarge its sewer system

The city of Jackson is taking steps to expand its sewer system in anticipation of future development.

"The main goal of the project is to provide gravity sanitary sewer service to the area adjacent to the East Main Street/Interstate 55 interchange," said Kent Peetz, Jackson's director of wastewater utilities. "This project will serve a large area on the east side of Jackson that currently does not have access to gravity sanitary sewer service, including a large area of county property that is surrounded by the city, as well as the area adjacent to the East Main/I55 interchange. The county property would need to annex into the City to access the sanitary sewer services."

The Jackson Board of Aldermen recently approved $211,530 to contractors Koehler Engineering and Land Surveying to lay the design groundwork for the project.

"We are designing the project in three parts," Peetz said. "Reach A will be approximately 5,400 feet long, designed to go from East Jackson Boulevard near the Williams Creek Bridge to the north side of South Old Orchard Road."

The second portion of the project will reach about 5,100 feet and run from South Old Orchard Road to the North side of East Main Street near the Interstate 55 interchange. It will include a spur to serve as a drainage west of the Old McKendree Chapel property.

"Reach C will be 2,600 feet long," Peetz said. "[It's being] designed to go from the North side of South Old Orchard Road to the West along a drainage reaching to the west side of South Old Orchard Road within that drainage."

The design phase will include investigations into the type and quantity of subsurface rock that exists along the route to identify potential snags.

The total length of the project will be more than 13,000 feet, include 8-inch and 12-inch lines and tie into the main sewer system, Peetz said.

One existing gravity sewer main, completed in 2007, ends near the intersection of East Main Street and Old Orchard Road, meaning property in that area will be served by a sanitary sewer lift station that will pump to the gravity main on East Main Street.

"We hope to have the project designed this year and could possibly be building it next year, depending on the timing of easement acquisitions, funding, and interest in development within the service area," Peetz said.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627