Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Last year was the summer of construction in Tekoa. This year is part II, and it has topped the first.
Starting last August, the six miles of PVC pipe that make up the Tekoa Water System Project were extended from residential streets to main street this summer.
In addition, a separate, simultaneous road project began in early July.
All together, up to eight construction crews at one time have been digging, grading and paving. As many as 36 crew members live in four rented houses in town.
“For the most part, we’re on the tail end of this now,” said Brad Sayers, foreman for Granite Construction of Cascade, Idaho.
When it’s done, roughly 75 percent of Tekoa’s streets will have been torn up.
“You’re not affecting a few people, you’re affecting the entire town,” said Sayers.
In the past two weeks, he has overseen the replacement of waterlines and fire hydrants up Crosby Street/Main Street and the hook-up of all businesses to the new water main.
Aside from a few dust complaints, hassles getting around town and a scattering of surprises for construction crews, the $4.1 million project has gone relatively smoothly, according to hard-hat workers and residents.
Men work to replace old steel waterlines, no newer than 60 years old, which have rusted and broken down. The new pipes are thick plastic.
“It’s made for pressure and lifetime,” said Sayers. “This replaces 85 percent of the water system with a new waterline.”
Three weeks ago, the second of two simultaneous street projects got underway.
The Henkle Street Reconstruction Project will widen the street, install a curb and gutter and add a new turnout for buses at the high school.
Henkle Street is now all dirt.
Because the town’s maps of the original water lines are incomplete, there is an element of discovery in the project, and that leads to delays.
“We’re not sure where all of the water lines are,” said Sayers. “There are so many unknowns to what we’re digging up.”
One item found, which rests on a pile of discarded and old corroded pipe pieces near the city shop, is a log plugged in the end of a steel pipe.
That was one way to seal it long ago.
The main staging area for the water project at one point held upwards of 25 pieces of heavy equipment.
This year’s work began in February.
Since then it’s been 12-14 hour days for the Granite crew, who is overseen by Century West of Spokane. Their inspectors in yellow shirts look on at various excavation sites around town.
“It gets hot wearing a vest,” said John Focht, one of three engineering technicians on-site from Century West.
The two contracts end Oct. 8, but Sayers said they hope to be done by mid-September.
Effect in town
While the waterline work continues, the town’s other endeavors go on as well.
“It’s been more or less positive,” said Donavon Chase, owner of C&D Bar and Grill. “If anything, business has gone up because of the Granite crew.”
He went on to note a decrease in older citizens coming into C&D, because the street isn’t as easy to navigate. Also, one afternoon they had their water shut down.
“There’s always a few naysayers,” said Chase. “But a guy last night said ‘it’s a cool thing that this much money is being spent in Tekoa.’ I don’t know how you cannot agree with that.”
“We’re excited to have it getting done,” said Cathy Haxton. “There’s been no problems really, just a little dusty, a little muddy, but it’s all good stuff.”
She noted one change in her family’s pattern.
“We’re driving to the pool instead of walking,” she said, indicating that the torn up streets and sidewalks call for a “20-second drive.” instead of walking.
The beginning
Tekoa Public Works Superintendent Duane Groom has been a busier than usual this summer.
“We tried to get fire-flow to the hydrants,” said Groom, discussing the origin of the work. “The reservoir at the base of the mountain, that’s where the project began.”
At the reservoir, a new roof and concrete rim were installed, with new pipes and a new vault for the valves.
“You take a 16-inch pipe off that, run it to town and start branching off,” said Groom.
The first branching off was on the residential streets on the north hill.
“I think it’s gone great,” Groom said. “From last fall through today, 90 percent has gone really well. It’s the 10 percent when you find a surprise, which causes a water shutoff. There’s four-inch water mains that aren’t on any maps.”
Groom said he appreciates the sentiment of the citizens throughout the project’s duration.
“We want to give a thank-you to the community for understanding the road issues, the detours, bumps in the road, or even just the mess in their yard,” Groom said.
Just Monday, the city hired WSU sophomore Earl Gaines to rake yards after crews vacate.
Groom also appreciates the community support Monday night, when an unexpected 12-inch water main on Crosby and Main caused a water shutoff from 1:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
All together, the surprises remain part of it all.
“What are you thinking there, Duane?” asked Sayers in a weekly meeting Tuesday morning.
“I try not to,” said Groom.
The Tekoa water project was funded through a $2.9 million loan and $1.2 million grant from a federal Rural Development program.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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