![City of Greeley Public Works staff working on a road resurfacing project](/images/default-source/water-images/suburban-ditch-irrigation-line-replacement.jpg)
Greeley’s Water & Sewer Department and its contractors work tirelessly to maintain the city’s water infrastructure that is more than a century old in places and susceptible to breaks and leaks.
And Greeley’s not alone. According to the EPA, there are over 240,000 water main breaks in the United States yearly—or more than 600 per day. These breaks result in the loss of 2.1 trillion gallons of clean drinking water yearly, or enough to fill the Empire State Building over 7,000 times!
This summer, the city is addressing its aging infrastructure with three active projects, not to mention the occasional water main break or leaks.
Johnson Subdivision Sewer Project
PROJECT SCOPE: A majority of the properties in the Johnson Subdivision have septic systems that are nearing the point of failure. The city is transitioning these properties from septic to municipal wastewater collection by building a new sewer collections system for residents to connect to as their septic system fails.
UPDATE: Wastewater Collection has constructed 1,100 feet of sewer main along 38th Avenue in the Johnson Subdivision. It has built 11 service stub outs, (connections extending to the property line) with another 11 to finish by July 31. Once road patching is done, the project will be complete.
Suburban Ditch Irrigation Pipeline Project
PROJECT SCOPE: The city is replacing a half-mile section of pipeline under Reservoir Road that carries non-potable irrigation water to the University of Northern Colorado and city parks near downtown Greeley. The corrugated metal pipeline developed leaks over time, so the city is replacing it with longer-lasting, low-maintenance pipes made of reinforced concrete.
UPDATE: Installation of reinforced concrete pipes is 90 percent complete, and the road is being prepped for asphalt paving. Reservoir Road reopens in August for about a month before crews connect the new pipe to the existing one after the ditch is taken out of service in late September.
Waterline Replacement Project (27th Street)
PROJECT SCOPE: The city is replacing a 70-year-old waterline under 27th Street between 11th and 15th Avenues that is undersized and has a history of leaks and breaks. The new pipeline has better capacity, redundancy and fire flow for residents in the Farr Neighborhood.
UPDATE: Connell Resources installed the water main on 17th Avenue. They completed the tie-in to Montview Road and will start on 18th Avenue next. All mainline work, including service lines and front-yard meter pits, should be complete by September 6 with paving to follow. The city is bidding for contractors to tie the new water services into the existing homes. That work should begin in August and continue through the fall.
Learn more about the city’s water rates and how they help cover costs associated maintaining the city's water infrastructure.