5.01 ERMUSR 11-14-2023��i
Elk River
Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:
FROM:
ERMU Commission
Mark Hanson — General Manager
MEETING DATE:
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
November 14, 2023
5.01
SUBJECT:
Water Service Abandonment Appeal
ACTION REQUESTED:
Review management policy regarding water service abandonment and provide direction
BACKGROUND:
Section 114 of our water rules requires that all discontinued or abandoned water services shall
be shut off and disconnected at the main. During the open forum of the October commission
meeting, Steve Rohlf of Cornerstone Auto and Andrew Harvala of Heritage Construction
requested to be released from the requirement to properly abandon the former water service
at their property (10965 171s' Avenue NW). Mr. Rohlf and Mr. Harvala stated they were
concerned the numerous utility lines at or near the water main made it difficult to safely
excavate down to the main without risking damage to the adjacent utilities. They requested
approval to pay the estimated abandonment costs to Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU) in lieu
of doing the work.
DISCUSSION:
Section 114 of our water rules requires that all discontinued or abandoned water services shall
be shut off and disconnected at the main. The intent of the abandonment requirement is to
protect the City and the Utility from damage caused by a leak at an abandoned service line. If
not capped at the main, abandoned service lines are still "live" with pressurized water that can
cause significant damage if a leak develops. Since abandoned lines can be missed during a
locate process, they are at great risk of being damaged during future construction activities.
Case in point, the abandoned service line in question was hit during the excavation efforts for
the Quick Lube construction project. Furthermore, abandoned service lines are at a continually
increasing risk of leaking as they age.
As for the risks associated with damaging the adjacent utility lines, any risks that exist today will
only increase if the line must be capped in an emergency leak situation. Capping the line today
allows for a best -case scenario to complete the work in a controlled environment. To estimate
the magnitude of the repair, ERMU requested multiple quotes for the work. The quotes ranged
from a low of $5,200 to a high of $17,000.
ATTACHMENTS:
Section 114 of our water rules; Abandoned Water Services
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