LANSING, Ill. (July 20, 2023) – During the July 20 Village Board meeting, Steven Kaminsky of Robinson Engineering presented a map of Oakwood Estates, a Lansing neighborhood south of 186th Street and west of Burnham Avenue. The map highlighted a number of streets that have seen significant problems with water main failures in the period since 2019.
Thanks to $3.7 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), replacing those water mains can begin this fall.
Restrictions limit the types of projects ARPA funds can be used for, and the Oakwood Estates Water Main Replacement Project meets the guidelines. “We decided early after the receipt of the funds that we would direct this money toward water main replacement because that is one of our biggest capital and project needs,” said Village Administrator Dan Podgorski at the meeting.
Kaminsky explained that the water mains in Oakwood Estates were installed in the 1950s and 1970s. The mains are ductile iron pipe that is “really corroded and past its useful life.”
The replacements will be PVC pipe that has a useful life of 100 years. Approximately 1.9 miles of pipe will be installed.
Normally a project like this is presented at a Committee of the Whole meeting for review and discussion before being put on a later Board meeting agenda for vote. Because of the obvious need and the funding available, Administrator Podgorski felt comfortable providing the information and including the vote on the same agenda.
During the Building and Public Works section of the meeting, Trustee Leo Valencia made the motion to “authorize advertising for bids for the ARPA-funded Oakwood Estates Water Main Replacement Project.” Trustee Saad Abbasy seconded, and the vote was unanimous to approve moving forward with getting bids.
Once bids on the project are received, the Board will vote to award the contract to one of the bidders, after which the work can begin. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for Tuesday, August 15, at 6 p.m.
