The Miami Wastewater Collection System Improvement Project continues to move forward, according to Jesse Grinsteiner with Tucson-based KE&G Construction, Inc.

He gave his report to the Town of Miami Wastewater Advisory Board (WWAB) at its Feb. 21 meeting.

Talking about actual versus planned progress, Grinsteiner said that since manhole rehabilitation was behind schedule, a second crew would be added beginning Monday, March 11 “to bring it back in line.”

Grinsteiner described mainline sewer rehabilitation as “slightly behind the original schedule.”

Sewer house connections (HCS) cleanout/blackwater valve installation was “a couple of weeks behind planned progress, but has not slipped from last month,” he said.

Talking about activities completed since the previous progress report, Grinsteiner said that 222 feet of eight-inch pipe was installed at McKenzie/Roosevelt, with one new manhole; mainline sewer work at Nash was underway; HCS asphalt patching in Phase 3 was complete and Phase 3 cleanout collars were finished.

He also reported that six manholes had been rehabilitated, for a total of 48 and that 35 HCS cleanouts/blackwater valves had been installed on existing sewers at Frederic, Bird, Towles and Rice, for a total of 344 to date.

While as of Feb. 21 no existing manholes had been adjusted to grade, 115 had been adjusted to date, Grinsteiner said.

Delaying factors included rain and snow causing crews to not be able to work full days; conflicts with Arizona Water Company work on Cactus Alley; locating manholes; unknown/unmarked utilities, though the situation is improving, and the challenge of locating lateral service lines.

At its Feb. 11 regular meeting, the Miami Town Council approved three payment applications totaling more than $600,000 as the WWAB had recommended.

One bill for $547,436.01 was payable to KE&G for “sewer project work completed,” while the others were for $48,949.50 for Hilgart-Wilson for “Phase 3-5 expenditures” and $9,482.91 to the Town of Miami for “sewer project related expenses.”

All payment applications are subject to agreement by the funding agency, which is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The next WWAB meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, March 21, in Miami Town Council Chambers, 500 W. Sullivan St., Miami.