Under ideal conditions, Garnett’s sewer system and its stormwater drainage system should be two completely separate sets of mechanics – stormwater gets directed to local lakes and streams to alleviate possible flooding of populated areas, while sewer water should travel an undiluted path to the city’s sewage treatment plant. But, parts of Garnett’s sewer system were built in 1910 of old clay pipe which now has holes in it and is partially collapsed in some places. Holes in that system allow groundwater to leach into the sewer system, which overloads the sewage treatment plant in times of heavy rain.
So, how much do you think it would take to fix the system? Garnett City Commissioners were “sticker shocked”, so to speak, when Dan and Ben Coltrane of Midwest Engineering, told commissioners that pricing on repairs of that magnitude came in at $17.8 million dollars. They did say that it could be done in small sections over a period of years. Garnett City Manager Travis Wilson knows that the city could not afford a yearly payment of $740,000, which would mean increasing rates for every utility customer by $41.00 a month. The commission took no action on the report.
