Another sign to fix downtown main system
The excessive flooding in the recent storms
– on San Benito Street near the same areas where repeated main
breaks caused problems in the fall – is yet another sign that city
officials should stop putting off replacement of the downtown main
system as they continue to throw away tax dollars every time a
problem occurs there.
Another sign to fix downtown main system
The excessive flooding in the recent storms – on San Benito Street near the same areas where repeated main breaks caused problems in the fall – is yet another sign that city officials should stop putting off replacement of the downtown main system as they continue to throw away tax dollars every time a problem occurs there.
Most recently, with the recent round of storms starting early last week, residents who live on the end of San Benito Street near Nash Road had been forced to avoid an array of flooded areas. The problem, as a city public works official acknowledged to the Pinnacle, is compounded by the old age of the main line system, which starts at Fourth Street in the heart of downtown.
Nothing new, right?
It may not be a disaster, but it’s a problem officials can avoid and it’s emblematic of the consequences from putting off necessary infrastructure projects and continuing to accept a modus operandi of react before acting.
Here’s why city officials should immediately look to invest in the overhaul of the downtown main line:
– As the increasing frequency of main breaks in that area shows – there were three of them in a short span during October – the annual cost of fixing the malfunctions likely will increase with time. Regardless, any piecemeal repair at about $25,000 a piece – no matter how many occur in a given year – adds an equivalent cost to the system’s drain on taxpayers’ wallets.
– Even with small repairs of minor damages, which the flooding may be considered to be, there ends up being a cost on some level in the end whether it’s from hiring an outside contractor or assigning public works crews to the quick fixes.
– Make the investment now, and it would eliminate the regular and massive inconvenience for the area’s residents and businesses.
– The poor economy, and concern about an effect on neighboring businesses when the streets are under construction, is no excuse. There will have to be sacrifice to a certain extent whether it’s now or later, and it’s not as if those businesses aren’t suffering potential losses every time the main breaks and it takes anywhere from a day to a week to fix it.
– The total estimated cost to replace the main line system downtown is $3 million to $4 million. It sounds like a lot – which it is, all at once – but the funds would have to come from a bond. And with bonding, there is an annualized cost that might not be all that much higher than the incalculable toll from the main breaks and other problems.
The bottom line is, this is an investment worth making now. Because with every passing day and year, the price just keeps going higher.
