Team Elmer’s has achieved a royal flush in Manistee.

Previously, the city’s sanitary sewer and the storm sewer were two parts of one system. Both would flow to the Manistee Waste Water Treatment Facility for treatment, and additional storm sewer volume being treated would cost the taxpayers money. The problem was during a significant storm event, the treatment facility would be over capacity and overflow volumes would release both storm water and sanitary sewer water directly into the Manistee River.

The City of Manistee’s planning effort resulted in the lines slated for upgrade and separation. Team Elmer’s rose to the challenge, helping to separate the lines into two systems. Storm sewer inlet and outlet inverts were 20 feet deep in narrow excavation areas. Trench box technology was used to ensure crew safety and proper materials installation. The biggest hurdle of the job was trying to orchestrate 25 to 35 workers in such a small area with a variety of work going on at the same time. Keeping staking, materials, miss digs, Consumers Energy and several subcontractors informed and ahead of the crews was a huge undertaking, but Project Foreman Steve Endres did just that – and he did an awesome job!

Thanks to Manistee’s efforts, Team Elmer’s separated the lines restricting storm sewer water volumes sent to the treatment facility and reduced the overflow problem in a storm event.
 

By the Numbers

• 25,000 tons of gravel
• 10,563 tons of Esphalt
• 11,033 feet of storm sewer
• 151 ea storm catch basins
• 4,141 feet of sanitary sewer
• 20 ea sanitary manholes
• 89,823 pounds of castings
• 5,131 feet of water main
• 20 fire hydrants
• 175 ea water services
• 23,247 feet of curb
• 29,291 square feet of sidewalk
• 110,000 cubic yards of clay undercut and export
   

Date Completed: April 2011
Partners: Consumers Energy, Abonmarche Engineering
Self-Perfromed: 90%