Sewer pipes have a long shelf life, but even sturdy cast iron pipes need updating. In Fremont, the two original siphons that carried sewer and stormwater from a 100 square mile area – sometimes as much as 220 million gallons per day – had reached the end of their near century of operation and needed to be replaced. To do that, the County called on SWIZY, a microtunneling machine (seven feet in diameter) that channeled its way underneath the Ship Canal from Fremont to Queen Anne to lay the groundwork for a new set of cast iron pipes.
Community outreach was important during the design process leading up to construction of the two new 5-foot diameter siphons. There are many stakeholders in the densely populated neighborhoods of Fremont and Queen Anne, including residences, businesses and institutions. EnviroIssues helped the County hold a series of design workshops to understand community values and gather feedback to help the technical team design the look and feel of a new odor control facility associated with the siphons (odor control is important – we’re talking sewage here). Together, the community and the County landed on a historic look to the facility. EnviroIssues remained on the project throughout construction, staffing the construction hotline and keeping the public up to date as construction progressed.
EnviroIssues’ robust early outreach built trust and positive relationships with the community that lasted through construction. Not only was the project finished on time and under budget, it was well-received by the community – a huge victory for everyone involved.
