This page and information is for those that live in the immediate area of our water treatment plant. It is about impacts from demolition and construction during treatment plant improvements.
Project updates will be posted here throughout the duration of the project.
November 16, 2022 Update
Work Completed Since Last Update
The security system referenced in the last update has been installed on the site. The alarms have been tested, and the alarm sound is highly localized. We do not expect that the alarm noise would be audible for neighboring properties.
Precision demolition work has been mostly completed.
Foundations for the new facilities are under construction. Installation of rebar and concrete will continue throughout the winter.
Upcoming Work
The construction of a tower crane on site will begin on Thursday, November 17 and will continue throughout the weekend. If weather conditions cooperate, the crane may be fully built by the end of Saturday, November 19. Otherwise, work may continue on Sunday, November 20 as well. The construction of the tower crane is not expected to be noisy but will be visible to neighbors. Once constructed, the tower crane will operate on site for approximately 2 years.
Work on facilities will continue through the winter months. By continuing to work through the winter, we will shorten the project schedule and, consequently, the duration of the impact to neighbors. Winter activities are expected to be less impactful for neighbors since more time is spent indoors during the winter months.
Work Completed Since Last Update
Trees were planted behind the back fence line of most Beaumont Street properties. Planting these trees early will give them a couple extra years of growth to help block views of the site sooner. Much more tree planting will be done towards the end of the project as well.
Precision demolition work has begun and is progressing well.
Extensive concrete work and pipe work within the excavation has been completed, preparing the way for the future facilities.
Upcoming Work
A security system will be installed on the site. The security system will help to prevent unauthorized trespassing on the site outside of work hours and will include video cameras. The security system is equipped with an alarm, but the alarm system includes protections against false alarms. ONCE FULLY INSTALLED ON SITE, IT IS LIKELY THAT WE WILL TEST THE ALARM SYSTEM BRIEFLY IN ORDER TO CHECK THAT IT IS WORKING CORRECTLY AND TO GAUGE HOW LOUD THE SYSTEM MIGHT BE FOR NEIGHBORS. Our sincere hope is that the alarm system proves unnecessary and causes no disturbances to neighbors. Having the alarm system available for use as needed, however, should help to prevent the site from becoming attractive to bad actors.
The sheet pile removal referenced in the last update from October 12 has been delayed. That work is now scheduled for the week of October 31 - November 4. The work is still expected to take 3 days to complete and will generate considerable noise and vibration.
Work Completed Since Last Update
Soil stored on site has been sprayed with seed. The seed will remain dormant throughout the winter and will sprout in the spring of 2023. The soil berm behind Jackson Street has been completed. The area is expected to remain undisturbed until 2024, when soil will be reimported to the site for back fill.
Beginning on Oct. 17, we will begin planting trees along the property boundary where possible. At present, that will allow us to plant trees behind the back fence line of most Beaumont Street properties. While planting trees, workers will be close to the property boundary and may be working near the fence line. Originally, all landscaping work was planned for the end of the project, but SPRWS and the construction team have made an extra effort to plant trees earlier where possible. The early planting will allow more time for trees to mature so that they provide neighboring properties with visual screening sooner.
As noted in the Sept. 13 update, precision demolition work still needs to be completed. This work is expected to begin on October 17. The work will occur at the far southwestern corner of the construction site, but the activity will be noisy. The remaining demolition work is expected to last approximately 3 weeks.
As noted in the previous update, sheet piling has been installed on the site. Some of the sheet piling installed at the bottom of the excavation has now served its purpose in allowing for the construction of subgrade facilities. As such, 3 days of sheet pile removal are scheduled to begin on October 24. Sheet pile removal for these three days is expected to generate levels of noise and vibration similar to those encountered during the installation.
An overview of some of the most important project details.
Timeline
March - May 2022 – Tree removals and some small-scale activities on site (i.e. moving small equipment, etc.) May 2022 – Stage 1 demolition work begins Fall - Winter 2022 – New facility construction work begins Winter 2025 – Stage 2 demolition work begins Mid-2026 – Project is complete
Please see the sections below for more information on each of these activities. The project schedule is subject to change as countless factors influence the rate of progress.
Impacts on Neighbors
As noted in the letter that we mailed in August 2021, neighboring properties are expected to experience impacts from the work, including:
Traffic – You may encounter some construction traffic on Larpenteur Avenue, Roselawn Avenue, Sylvan Street, and Rice Street near your home.
Noise – Depending upon proximity to the site, you are likely to hear construction noise when you are outdoors and/or when you have your windows open. During particularly noisy construction activities, neighbors located close to the property may also be able to hear the project even with their windows closed.
Visual Impacts– Depending upon proximity to the site, you may be able to see the construction and demolition work as it occurs. As noted above, many trees on site will be removed, so views of the property will be meaningfully altered for neighbors.
Work Hours
SPRWS anticipates that most work will be accomplished during the following working hours: Monday to Friday from 7:00 am - 5:30 pm.
Occasionally, work may need to be pushed into evening hours or weekend hours if unexpected circumstances are encountered. Existing noise ordinances allow for work to be performed Monday to Saturday from 7:00 am - 7:00 pm.
Generally, work will only be planned outside of the stated hours if it is expected to be quiet or if it must be accomplished at night due to extenuating circumstances.
We understand that these are your evenings and your weekends, and we have every intention of ensuring that we limit impacts as much as possible during these sensitive times.
Demolition of Facilities
Many existing facilities will be demolished as part of this project. Demolition work will be completed in two stages as shown in the graphic below. In general, demolition work will be the noisiest part of the project. Most of the structures that will be demolished are large, below-ground facilities. Our team continues to work through details of the demolition plan to minimize impacts on neighbors.
Map showing SPRWS facilities to be demolished during stage 1 and stage 2
Stage 1 Demolition will take place from summer through winter of 2022. The demolition of these facilities will free up space to build the new facilities. Overall, this demolition work is expected to take 7 months.
Stage 2 Demolition will take place after the new facilities are fully constructed and operational. This work is likely to occur in the winter of 2025. Overall, this demolition work is expected to take 10 months.
New Facility Construction
New facilities will be constructed on the northeast portion of the site. Ultimately, much of the construction will be below-ground and will not be visible once the project is completed. There will, however, be numerous above-ground facilities constructed as well. The graphic below provides a sense of the locations and scales of the facilities that we plan to construct.
Overview graphic showing models of new above ground facilities and areas where underground facilities will be located