By Christopher Edmunds

The Selma Times-Journal

Residents in the rural Delwood Estates community will finally get some relief from more than 10 years of sewer and drainage problems.

The Dallas County Commission unanimously awarded a sewer rehabilitation project to Suncoast Infrastructure, Inc. during a regularly scheduled meeting Monday.

County commissioner Larry Nickles said around 54 homes in the Delwood Estates community have been affected by clogged sewer pipes for years.

“The subdivision was built about 1974, and no maintenance has been done on the internal lines since then,” Nickles said.

Over time, sediment has built up in the pipes, causing sewage lines to occasionally clog or back up into yards in the subdivision.

“The Delwood community is basically in the bottom of a big bowl, so we have drainage issues and sewage issues,” Nickles said.

In November 2013, the commission received a grant to fix the sewage pipelines in the area along Dallas County Roads 911 and 912 in western Dallas County near Orrville.

The Suncoast bid of $319,546.14 was accepted by the commission, although the bid was $41,000 over the budget for the project.

Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard said the commission has the necessary funds if the total cost does reach the bid amount, but he is hopeful the project will cost less than the bid amount.

“Legally, we can not negotiate price with contractors, but what we can do is discuss quantity,” Ballard said. “We have met and found some ways to reduce the amount of work needed to hopefully cut down on the total cost.”

Project engineer Josh Pierce said the first part of the project involves a closed-circuit television inspection to find out exactly what work needs to be done in the sewage pipes.

“Basically, they’ll come in and use video equipment in the sewer mains, they will review that and make recommendations on what we need to do and what we don’t need to do,” Pierce said. “Then we’ll move forward from there with the final stage of the project.

As of right now, we’re not entirely sure what we will and won’t do, but the first part of the job is to determine that through this inspection report.”

While the timeline for the project is not certain, commissioners said they would like to see it completed as soon as possible.

“We’d like to get it in before winter,” Nickles said. “When winter sets in, you’ve got problems with the environment, and you’d rather do it when it’s dry.”

Grant administrator Cara Stallman said the next step is to obtain temporary construction easements from each property owner.

The easements allow work to be done on sewage lines that run through private property.

Stallman said property owners will be contacted soon about the easements.

“It’s just a two-page document, and we’ll be in touch,” she said. “We will have a public meeting soon.”