Amanda Hamon, writing for the Journal & Courier, has an article about the ceremonial completion of one of those projects that a city needs to undertake even though it’s probably not going to get voters fired up. It’s an underground sewer tunnel in downtown Lafayette, and if it’s working right, nobody is going to notice it’s there.
The 2,300-foot-long tunnel, which runs along Second Street, has been accepting flow since April 10, said Brad Talley, the city’s wastewater superintendent.
“It’s working well,” he said. “With the rains we’ve had so far, it’s reduced the amount of overflows going into the river by 38 million gallons already, in two months or so.”
. . .
The $18.9 million project is part of the city’s 20-year, long-term control plan to eliminate sewage overflows caused by the city’s antiquated combined sewer system that mixes stormwater with raw sewage.
Talley said the tunnel will eliminate 30 percent of the city’s annual volume of sewage overflows into the Wabash River. The tunnel has the capacity to store up to 1.5 million gallons of water, he said.
This kind of thing is at the heart of why we need government. Cities have a ton of people all packed together. That comes with consequences. We aren’t islands unto ourselves. So, for example, you have to build sewage tunnels that help deal with our waste without dumping it into the river for those downstream to enjoy. It requires a fair number of tax dollars and, when folks are complaining about taxes, it would rarely occur to them to chalk a sewage tunnel up on the “benefits” side of the ledger.
Quite agree, although I’m a utility guy. I find these projects sexy. What can I say?
I think the criticism is off the mark, though. I run with quite a few smaller government types, and when I hear them talk about what government absolutely should be doing, sewers are absolutely, positively a part of the higher priorities. It’s a perfect example of one of the few things where government can allocate resources more efficiently than the market.
Particularly good during these monsoon rains we’ve been having. I never fail to appreciate the farsighted city fathers when we’re lucky enough to have planned ahead.