It’s inevitable each time I report on the La Crosse-La Crescent pipeline, someone — a blogger, letter writer or otherwise — misreads, misconstrues or just manipulates the facts. Water Utility Manager Mark Johnson asked for an opportunity to clear up a few of the more egregious misstatements and offered to answer any questions I had. Below are excerpts from my conversation with Johnson.

What is the La Crosse-La Crescent pipeline?
The pipeline is a pressurized sanitary sewer (forcemain) that is being extended/installed by the city of La Crescent to transport wastewater from La Crescent and discharge it into the city of La Crosse sanitary sewer system. That waste will be treated at La Crosse’s wastewater treatment plant.

What drove the project?

La Crescent’s discharge permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency required them to extend the discharge pipe from their existing wastewater plant to the west channel of the Mississippi River. This requirement led La Crescent to approach La Crosse to discuss and eventually agree on the option of extending the discharge pipe onto Barron Island and then to the La Crosse wastewater plant.

Last we heard crews were tying the La Crescent main into La Crosse’s system. What’s the status? And where does the water main extension from Barron Island stand?

All of the forcemain pipe has been installed, but there are some remaining issues to be addressed before the pipe can be put into service. It was necessary for La Crescent to hire a second contractor to complete the installation of the sewer pipe under the Mississippi River. There is pending litigation in Minnesota Federal Court between La Crescent and the original contractor and its bonding company.

It will be necessary to bid a follow-up project to complete installation of the watermain connecting the municipal water system to Barron Island. Construction on the watermain is anticipated in 2008.

What’s the total price tag? And what’s the cost to La Crosse?

The original project was bid in three sections.

Section A included the sewer forcemain from La Crescent to Barron Island. The bid was $586,071. This cost was 100 percent La Crescent’s.

Section B included the sewer forcemain from Barron Island to La Crosse. The big total for Section B was $369,531. The agreement between the cities split this cost between La Crosse and La Crescent at 15 percent and 85 percent, respectively. Fifteen percent of that total (La Crosse’s share) is about $55,430.

Section C included the watermain connecting Barron Island to La Crosse’s municipal water system. The bid total for section C was $263,674, which is 100 percent La Crosse’s responsibility.

Because the original contractor was unable to install the sewer and water pipes under the Mississippi River, it was necessary for La Crescent to hire a second contractor to complete the forcemain, and it will be necessary to bid a second project to install the watermain connecting the city’s municipal water system to Barron Island. Additional costs related to these two projects will be included in the litigation between La Crescent and the original contractor.

Where are the funds for the Barron Island project coming from?

Sanitary Sewer Utility funds will pay for the cost of the forcemain that La Crosse is responsible for. Water Utility funds will pay for the cost of the watermain.

The city had been waiting for Barron Island redevelopment before extending water. Why do it now?

Having city water available provides added incentive for developers. When the forcemain project was being prepared, it made sense to take advantage of having one contractor install both sewer and water pipes at the same time.

If La Crosse did the watermain extension to Barron Island independent of La Crescent’s project, how much would it likely cost?

An independent project to install the watermain will likely cost more than the original bid.

La Crescent is getting its waste processed. What is La Crosse getting out of the deal?

In January 2007, the La Crosse Common Council approved a 20-year agreement with La Crescent for sewer service. Per the agreement, La Crescent will pay a wholesale rate for wastewater treatment of $1,288 per million gallons. This is consistent with current rates charged to other users — Onalaska, Town of Campbell and Town of Shelby — under contract with La Crosse for wastewater service.

What will be the city’s projected profit each year for processing La Crescent’s waste?

Based on the current average daily flow from La Crescent, annual estimates will be about $125,000.

Samantha Marcus can be reached at (608) 791-8220 or smarcus@lacrossetribune.com.

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