The aging cast iron water mains in Cottonwood Falls had been experiencing excessive breaks, causing frequent repairs throughout the years. At times, the existing service pressure fell below the minimum state regulations, and the system did not provide acceptable fire protection. Furthermore, after joining the newly formed Public Wholesale Water District No. 26, the City would be purchasing its water and needed to reduce its percentage of unaccounted water loss. The City contracted BG Consultants to identify potential solutions and submit the project for CDBG funding.

The solution the City chose was to replace nearly the entire water distribution system. BG Consultants’ preliminary engineering report was submitted to CDBG for a grant application in Fall 2012. Upon award, BG prepared design plans and bidding documents for almost 13,000 feet of C-900 PVC waterlines of various sizes, 21 new fire hydrants, 110 service assemblies, and a 16-inch steel casing bore under K-177 at two locations, as well as under an existing stone arched culvert below Broadway Street.

For the downtown portion of the project, public meetings were held to involve local businesses and identify ways of minimizing the construction impact on their daily operations.