Bertha Discusses $9 Million in Infrastructure Overhaul
- 13 minutes ago
- 1 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Bertha City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, April 7, to review a proposed multi-million-dollar overhaul of the city’s water and wastewater systems.
Project Engineer with Bollig Engineering Will O’Halloran and Funding Specialist with DEED/Small Cities Development Program Zach Bubany explained the city’s most pressing infrastructure needs, potential solutions, and state and federal funding options.
Wastewater system strained by aging pipes
O’Halloran reported that from 2014 to 2024, wastewater flows entering the treatment system have increased by about 30 percent, with peak daily flows jumping from two times the average to 11 times the average on rainy days. That spike is blamed on inflow and infiltration (I&I)–rain and groundwater leaking into cracked or aging sewer pipes.
“When it rains, a lot of that water is getting into your wastewater, which doesn’t need to be there,” explained O’Halloran.
He noted that excess water takes up valuable space in the city’s treatment ponds and can stress the system...
