Demopolis neighborhood concerned about sewer pipe replacement plan

Residents of one Demopolis neighborhood are not happy about plans the Demopolis Water Works and Sewer Board has for their area, and they expressed their displeasure at an informational meeting held at Rooster Hall June 30. 

Water and Sewer General Manager Wesley Pate said the project will affect homes on South Walnut Avenue, Mason Ridge Drive, Southmount Drive and South Cedar Avenue.  

Pate told the crowd at the meeting that the sewer pipes in that area are clay pipes that have reached the end of their useful life. Rainwater is infiltrating the pipes, which is overloading the sewage treatment plant.  

Pate and Water and Sewer Board Chairman Jay Reynolds said an engineering firm has inspected the pipes, and they say there is no cost-effective way to repair them. The pipes are as much as 12 feet underground, so digging them up is costly, Pate said. Pipes that run under Highway 80 are 25 to 30 feet deep, and to replace them, traffic on the highway would have to be rerouted through downtown Demopolis, which is no longer allowed.  

The solution at this point is to install grinder pumps at each home in the neighborhood. These are pumps that pulverize solid waste and pump the wastewater to a new four-inch main line to be carried to the sewer treatment plant.  

New pipes will be installed for the area. The new pipes will not have to be as deep because the waste will be moved under pressure rather than by gravity alone. According to Reynolds, the old pipes would be filled with concrete to prevent cave ins. 

Neighborhood residents have many issues with the grinder pump solution. Residents were concerned about the length of the warranty and the cost of maintaining or replacing the pumps. Replacement cost could be as much as $3,000, which is more than some residents could afford, they said.  

The cost of the electricity to run the pumps was also a point of contention. Reynolds told the crowd that the cost to power was around $1.50 per month, but a resident said his research found the cost is closer to $200 per year. 

Residents also objected to granting an easement for workers to install the pumps, pipes and water lines. Although the original form absolved the city, the water board and the construction contractor of any liability, Reynolds said that any damage will be repaired at no cost to the homeowner. 

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Reynolds said if homeowners do not sign the permission form allowing the pumps to be installed, water will be cut off to that home for lack of a sewer system.

Residents said a poorly maintained drainage ditch at the end of the neighborhood is part of the problem. On Google Maps, it’s called Falling Creek, which runs behind the nursing home and Demopolis High School and eventually empties into Double Creek. 

Residents said the ditch has not been properly maintained and consequently is unable to sufficiently drain the area. Russel Baty, who grew up in that neighborhood and whose mother still lives there, said the ditch and culverts have filled in over the years and can no longer handle runoff from heavy rains.  

Pate and Reynolds said maintenance of the ditch is the responsibility of the city, but they would look into it. 

Many of the residents at the meeting complained that there has been a lack of communication from the water board to the community. Reynolds said the project has “been in the works for four years,” but residents said they have received little information until recently. 

Reynolds told the residents that the board has looked for a solution that would not put any financial responsibility or burden on the customer. At this point, grinder pumps are the most cost-effective solution.  

Reynolds also explained that the $1.8 million project is being funded by an ARPA grant administered by ADEM. He said there is a time frame in which that money must be used.  

Currently inspections of the system continue to see if there is a viable alternative to the grinder pumps. The Water and Sewer Board is continuing to communicate with residents and Reynolds said another meeting is a possibility.  

Construction could start as soon as 30 days beginning with installation of mains and grinder pumps. Within a 60-day window, service lines across Highway 80 will be installed. Both Pate and Reynolds said if anyone needs more information, go to www.demopoliswaterworks.com or call the office at 334-289-3328.