Lexington’s Division of Water Quality got some good news earlier this year. But, there remain some challenges regarding the city’s comprehensive overhaul of its sewer systems.
Back in March the city got word that the federal government had released the city from its mandate for stormwater improvements. That occurred five years ahead of schedule. Now, the primary focus is on sanitary sewer projects. Water Quality Division Director Charlie Martin said the much talked about supply chain hitch has been felt in his office. “We had one project in mid-stream. It had to shut down because we couldn’t get pipe for nearly three months,” said Martin.
Martin said the pipe came for that project. But the division director said he’s learned the price of chlorine is about to increase threefold. Martin noted no one could have predicted the impact of coronavirus. And he added there have been internal discussions about the possibility of requesting an extension of the federal consent decree. “Nobody anticipated what we’ve endured in the last two years when we signed this consent decree back in 2008. And I think that’s a fair discussion, one that we’ve been having internally and likely we will be having at the state and federal level some time in the future,” explained Martin.
The current schedule calls for Lexington to complete the $590 million sanitary sewer overhaul by the end of 2026. Martin said the stormwater improvements were completed five years ahead of the deadline.
