Mt. CB Water and San continues plans for major sewer upgrade

When it happens, it won’t be pretty

By Mark Reaman

Construction of a major $26.5 million sewer upgrade in Mt. Crested Butte is not expected to begin this year, but the design and plans should be completed by the end of June of 2026. During the February 12 Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District board meeting, Rick Huggins of HDR, the district’s design and engineering consultant, updated the board on its progress. When construction does begin, the Gothic Road interceptor would span from Prospect Drive to the Mt. Crested Butte wastewater treatment plant at the entrance to town, so pretty much along the entirety of the town’s main thoroughfare. The proposed plan and design are 90% complete.

According to the district’s draft master plan, the wastewater flows are projected to increase approximately 40% as defined by town code and the town of Mt. Crested Butte’s 2021 zoning map. This is basically driven by several major developments in the pipeline such as North Village and Upper Prospect. The district board is proactively planning to find ways to handle the increased capacity. Also, the district is facing capacity issues with its current mainline. According to the report from the consultant, much of the capacity issue comes from inflow and infiltration of groundwater seeping into the sewer collection system, which is a common issue in many mountain towns. At buildout, the upgraded line will go from being able to convey between 700 – 1,080 gallons per minute to handling up to 1,800 gallons per minute. That will primarily come from 1.8 miles of a new 15-inch in diameter interceptor line.

The report recommends the $25,932,000 in upgrades be “development funded but District led.” That is being done through a supplemental capacity expansion sewer tap fee that is paid in addition to regular tap fees, prior to obtaining a building permit.

The district has identified 0.2 miles of existing pipeline in need of rehabilitation that does not require upsizing due to the slope of the interceptor line. A new liner will be installed inside the pipe and the district is responsible for this portion of the project cost.

The district is now working on completing bid-ready design documents before putting the project out to bid. Some easements must be acquired and of course, funds for the project must be secured. District officials did not explain how the cash flow situation would work for the project.

When work does begin, there is no hiding the fact it will be a major disruption of town for potentially two summers. The 90% design plan anticipates mandatory detours along Gothic Road, one-way traffic with flaggers being utilized, pedestrian closures and reroutes, and a new resident access plan. The idea is that work may commence as early as April of 2027 or the following summer. Roadway trenching would take place from April 15 to September 20 with new asphalt being completed before October 15. The actual construction schedule will be finalized concurrently with final design. The district will communicate construction impacts once that schedule is finalized. District officials did not say whether or not the major developments in the pipeline would have to wait on horizontal construction until the mainline project is completed.

As part of the collection system upgrade, homeowners using sewer lines tapped into the district’s mainline must get an inspection when there is a change of ownership starting June 1 of this year. Property owners are responsible for sewer lines from their home or building (including condo complexes) to the mainline. If a problem is discovered during the inspection, the defect must be rectified within 60 days.

District in search of new manager

In other news, the district’s manager Mike Fabbre resigned from his position last week. The Board of Directors has appointed district engineer Nicole Bogenschuetz to serve as interim district manager while the board begins the process of identifying and hiring a permanent replacement. A search committee has been formed to lead that effort.