It is expected to cost as much as $6.5 million to repair the damage caused by a culvert failure and water main break last month in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Work is underway to clear away debris and reconstruct the culvert located in the Abbe Brook conservation area in the Liberty Heights neighborhood, said Springfield DPW Director Chris Cignoli.
“We anticipate having most of the work completed by winter,” he said.
It is theorized that this summer’s persistent rain destabilized the soil around the culvert causing the collapse.
“A 48-inch culvert that was about 20-25 feet deep completely failed and that is what took out the water main,” Cignoli said. “When that area failed it eroded out about 1,500 feet of stream bed.”
The damage was massive, Cignoli said, with significant erosion – 25 feet deep in places -- and numerous trees toppling along the banks of the culvert as the soil gave way.
“There were also six other outlets within the stream that were completely destroyed,” Cignoli said.
The water main break led to a two-day boil water order. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno declared a state of emergency as a result. That declaration may lead to the city being reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for at least part of the repair expenses.
In the meantime, the city is footing the entire bill.
The City Council authorized deficit spending for the repairs. The city has done it before when confronted by emergencies, said City Comptroller and acting Chief Administrative and Finance Officer Pat Burns.
“It allows us to establish a fund within our accounting system to track the expenses and buys us a year with raising the funds,” he said. “It will give us time to wait for the FEMA reimbursement and when the dust settles we’ll know exactly what the city’s portion will be.”
The city’s share will come from either the stabilization account or free cash, Burns said.
Pointing to rising water bills, City Councilor Kateri Walsh said the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission should cover some of the expense.
“I think people would like to see some kind of break from the Water and Sewer ( Commission),” Walsh said.
City Councilor Zaida Govan agreed.
“That can be an ongoing conversation,” she said.
Cignoli said the Water and Sewer Commission is applying separately for federal disaster funds to pay to replace the water main.
The infrastructure that was destroyed was over 80-years-old, said Cignoli.
