​July 13, 2018
 
Contact: Wastewater Superintendent Ryan Giefer
E-mail:[email protected]
Phone: 715-252-5123

City of Wisconsin Rapids Wastewater Department and A1 Excavating will begin Lift Station Force Main Connection Monday
 
Friday, July 13 – The City of Wisconsin Rapids Wastewater Department and A1 Excavating will begin excavation and connection to the Wisconsin River Crossing force main beginning Monday, July 16. As a result, the intersection of Ridgewood Trail and Golf Course Road will be closed. Residents and motorists will need to follow the directions stated below until the work is competed, which is expected to be finished by Thursday, July 19.

• Residents on Ridgewood Trail will need to use Airport Avenue.
• Residents on Golf Course Road will need to travel south on Golf Course Road.
• Residents on Country Lane and Blue Heron Lane will need to use Pepper Avenue.

 
During this time crews will be working 24-hours a day, until the work for this component portion of the project is complete, so be alert for high volume of truck traffic along 2nd Avenue South from Gaynor to State Highway 54/Riverview Expressway Bridge and areas surrounding the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The City encourages everyone to minimize local traffic in the construction area as much as possible.
 
The Wisconsin River Crossing force main carries water, sewage and other materials from the wastewater west-side lift station. The new overall infrastructure will result in life expectancies of 80-100 years for the river crossing force main, 50-80 years for the lift station structure and 20-40 years for lift station equipment. This ensures safe and reliable transport and processing of wastewater for generations to come.
 
Please contact Wastewater Superintendent Ryan Giefer with any questions or concerns.

071318_NR_WIRAPIDS Lift Station Force Main Connection Final

29th Ave Storm Sewer Replacement
Crews completed the project this week.
 
High Street – 7th Ave N to 10th Ave N
Roadwork began this week and High Street was marked for closure from 7th Ave N to 10th Ave N. High Street and 7th Ave N intersection is closed to through traffic. The majority of work over the next three weeks with be underground sewer and water replacement on the 700 block of High Street, between 7th Ave N and 8th Ave N. Residents along this piece will not be able to access their driveways until after the utility work is complete.
 
Wastewater force main river crossing
Multi-use trail detours are in place for users wanting to cross 2nd Ave S south of the roundabout. Materials have been delivered to the site at Ben Hansen Park and there are two crews working. The pipe crew has stripped topsoil and prepared the site for force main excavation, installed silt fence, and is preparing to dig boring pits to accommodate casing pipe that will be installed underneath 2nd Ave S. The drilling crew has set up a large drilling rig to drill the pilot hole that will start in Ben Hansen Park by the sand volleyball court under the river to Blue Heron Lane. Work next week will include installing the casing under the highway, installing some of the force main piping, and drilling the pilot hole across the river.
 
West Side Lift Station
Preliminary site excavation for the west side lift station has commenced. Work has temporarily ceased while calculations are being done to evaluate the rock excavation required to facilitate the lift station structure. Work is expected to resume as soon as the geotechnical evaluations are complete.
 
East River Bank Project
The prime contractor Janke Construction, Inc. continued work on the trail underneath the East Riverview Expressway Bridge. They began concrete work; pouring concrete trail from 1st Street S towards Riverwood Lane. They also installed the block retaining wall along Riverwood Lane. Lastly, they completed installation of a storm sewer structure on Riverwood Lane. Next week Janke will continue work underneath the East Riverview Expressway Bridge as they plan to continue work on the trail between 1st Street S and East Riverview Expressway Bridge and may begin trail work in Demitz Park.
 
1st St N – Poplar St to North City Limits
Beam guard modifications are complete near Strawberry Lane. Final work to complete this project includes: trail grading and paving, pedestrian railing, restoration and pavement marking. Construction crews are anticipating completion at the end of May or early June.
 
Washington St – 8th St N to 12th St N
​The concrete contractor finished the concrete sidewalk and concrete driveway approaches last week. City crews will be performing the final restoration of this project within the next couple weeks. Work is expected to be completed the first week of June.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION
PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT UPDATES
May 11, 2018  Update #1       5/7/18 – 5/11/18

Wastewater Superintendent:
Ryan Giefer
Phone (715)-421-8287
Email [email protected]
 
Director of Public Works:
Joseph Terry
Phone (715)-421-8255
Email [email protected]

​Construction activity supporting the wastewater force main river crossing begins today and will result in occasional shoulder closures and traffic delays on 2nd Ave South, south of Gaynor Ave along Ben Hansen Park through August.
 
Construction materials are expected to be delivered beginning Monday, May 14. Trucks and construction vehicles will be entering and exiting the work area throughout the duration of the project. Motor vehicle traffic can expect some very short, occasional delays. Pedestrians and multi-use trail users may experience some trail closures and detours throughout the construction project.
 
Please drive carefully and the City asks park users to stay a safe distance from construction equipment and activities.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Ryan Giefer, Wastewater Superintendent.

April 23, 2018
Contact: Ryan Giefer
Phone: 715-421-8287
​E-mail: [email protected]

City of Wisconsin Rapids to begin upgrade of West Side Lift Station/River Crossing April 23, 2018 – The Wisconsin Rapids Wastewater Department begins construction next month on the City’s new West Side Lift Station and the river crossing force main. The lift station, located at 1911 Gaynor Avenue, pumps sewage to processing sites and serves the wastewater needs of the entire west side of the City, processing more than 1.5 million gallons of wastewater per day.

Key lift station upgrades will include: four pumps to provide redundancy in the event of a pump failure, new backup power generation; and five times more wet-well storage capacity than previously available to prevent backups in the event of a failure. The wastewater lift station facility pumps wastewater to processing sites at higher elevation, but without the excessive excavation depths and high sewer construction costs required by a traditional gravity conveyance.

The force main, which carries water, sewage and other materials, will be a deep-bed granite directional drilling project, placing the main under the riverbed without the need to dig trenches. This will avoid the need for costlier excavation equipment and trench shoring techniques.

The lift station was originally constructed as the City’s first wastewater treatment facility in 1936 and converted into a lift station in 1971. The lift station has reached the end of its service life, with outdated and inefficient electrical equipment, pumps and backup power generation, as well as an aged building that lacks up-to-date safety and access features. The pipe crossing under the Wisconsin River is also at the end of its service life, and has shown signs of deterioration.

The new overall infrastructure will result in life expectancies of 80-100 years for the river crossing force main, 50-80 years for the lift station structure and 20-40 years for lift station equipment; thus, providing reliable wastewater conveyance, while protecting the environment.

The City received funding for this reconstruction project through a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Clean Water Fund Loan, which includes $700,000 in principal forgiveness. The lift station contract was awarded to Miron Construction of Neenah, Wisconsin, for $2,508,752. The force main river crossing work was awarded to A1 Excavating of Bloomer, Wisconsin, for $3,996,882. City officials anticipated and included this project and its costs in the City’s 2016 wastewater rate study, identifying and spreading out the impacts on wastewater user rates.

Citizens seeking more information can call Wastewater Superintendent Ryan Giefer at 715-252-5123.
​
CITY OF WISCONSIN RAPIDS TO BEGIN UPGRADE OF WEST SIDE LIFT STATION/RIVER CROSSING