Local

Sewer line maintenance project could help fortify infrastructure for next storm

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Cable lines with cameras went deep into manholes on Wednesday while above ground crews carefully looked at a monitor to see the images from below.

They’re looking for any sign of cracks or breaks in the pipes.

Project engineer William Mendez said the work, while tedious, is essential.

“Our pipes are so old and mainly [if] they are broken or we have open joints and all the rainwater or the groundwater infiltrates into the pipes and all of that water, it goes into the wastewater treatment plant, which, no good,” Mendez said.

Wastewater treatment plants are only meant to treat wastewater and not stormwater.

The work crews are doing is routine. It’s something the city does every year but Public Works director Martha Graham said this year it was pushed back because of Hurricane Matthew.

“We would've otherwise started approximately a month ago, so we are a month behind,” Graham said.

For the next two weeks, you’ll see trucks on the street in Davis Shores as they finish up the $52,000 project.

Once complete, the city will use the info to plan for the future.

“So that we can make those repairs because the end result would be to try to line these pipes rather than replace or reconstruct them,” Graham said.

Mendez said about 10 streets will be impacted for the remainder of the project in Davis Shores.

The project isn’t exclusive to Davis Shores. The city budgets about $500,000 a year to inspect the sewer lines for all of St. Augustine.