Heavy equipment is tearing up the streets in the Linda Vista area, as the City of Missoula works to stave off septic backups in case of a power failure.

City Engineer Kevin Slovarp said the project is specifically to bypass neighborhood STEP tanks.

"The reason for that is to reduce our energy consumption need in a time of extended power outage," Slovarp said. "If we have a major power outage in that area, those pumps won't keep up with the sewage flow in other areas, and there's a potential for a spill event that we're not interested in ever having. We're making that into a gravity line so there won't be the need to pump the sewage and have that potential overflow situation."

Now, about all the blue piping on the side of the street on Brooks as it heads out towards Miller Creek Road.

"That's another one of our sewer projects," Slovarp said. "Basically, it's to expand out ability to serve the present and future residents of the Miller Creek area and Linda Vista area. It's basically a new pipe to upsize the capacity in order to serve the folks who'll be living out there in the future."

Slovarp said local workers are being kept busy with the sewer projects, and there are some detours and delays for Missoula residents.

"The sewer projects are in the area of $600,000 to $800,000 dollars, so it's roughly a million and a half dollars," he said. "There are construction projects going on all over town, so we just ask that folks bear with the construction during the summer season."

 

More From 94.9 KYSS FM