Site work for a water / sewer project in Dubuque, Iowa. Conceptual plans call for site work for a water / sewer project.

This project provides for the stabilization of approximately 3,000 feet the City's 42-inch diameter sanitary sewer force main that runs along the main channel of the Mississippi from Maus Lake to the south. The work entails the reconstruction of the river embankment so that there is adequate cover and protection from the river and debris floating along the river. It will also provide protection from river barges that travel up and down the river, sometimes tying off in areas where the existing force main is exposed. The project will be done by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) through their Emergency Streambank Repair and Shoreline Protection program (Section 14 of the Flood Control Act of 1946). Through that program, the USACE will design and construct the improvements. The USACE began the Planning Design Analysis (PDA) in FY21. The USACE covers the initial $100,000. Anything above that amount is cost shared 50/50. The City budgeted $100,000 in FY21 to cover its share of PDA costs. Currently estimated at $7.7 million, the construction costs will be known following the PDA to be completed in early FY22. The City's share of the construction cost will be 35% of the total cost and it is due to the USACE up front, prior to construction. The City's 42-inch diameter sanitary sewer force main was constructed in 1977 with about 3,000 feet located along the banks of the Mississippi. It carries approximately 80 percent (80%) of the City's daily average flows to the Water and Resource Recovery Center. Over the years, erosion of the banks of the Mississippi have reduced the ground cover (and protection) to the point where the pipe is showing in a few places. Because the flow is under pressure, if the force main was to be ruptured, it would result in the discharge of thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater directly into the Mississippi. As of July 12, 2025, this project is included in the City's 2026-2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) *Project information has been obtained through a public capital improvement plan (CIP). A CIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the CIP often evolves based on funding availability and the project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.