The Midvale City Council approved a $2.6-million contract with Noland and Son Construction on Sept. 2 to carry out improvements on the city’s sewer system. 

Noland and Son will be tearing out and replacing some 3,200 feet of sewer pipes and repairing the lining of an additional 7,100 feet of pipes throughout 12 streets and seven avenues in central and southern Midvale, according to the contract.

City Engineer Branden Anderson told the council before the vote OK’ing the contract that the construction team will also be “redoing new manholes where we need to [and] reconnecting all the laterals that are there” to turn the city’s sewer into a “fully functioning system.”

The sewer rehabilitation project aims to fix “aging infrastructure, nonproper flows, and deterioration of the bottoms or tops of the pipes,” Anderson said.

According to the Public Notice, construction on the sewer pipes will be broken down into nine phases:

• Phase 1: Holden Street and Lennox Street
• Phase 2: Wasatch Street
• Phase 3: Olympus Street
• Phase 4: Wilson Street
• Phase 5: LaSalle Drive
• Phase 6: Pioneer Street
• Phase 7: 1st through 4th Avenue
• Phase 8: 5th through 7th Avenue
• Phase 9: Main and Wasatch Street

The staggered approach provides flexibility for when construction begins, which was meant to lower the project’s asking price, according to the bidding documents. However, while the start date had some room for negotiation, the documents note that the areas with the highest priority, Holden Street and Lennox Street, must be completed by Oct. 15, with the rest of the project finishing up in May 2026.

Improvements on Holden Street’s wastewater system coincide with the infrastructure work being done by Beck Construction and Excavation as part of Midvale’s Roadway and Utility Improvements project. The infrastructure project includes fixing up Holden’s roadway, replacing storm drains and installing a new waterline.

The $2.6-million project will be funded from bond proceeds reserved for sewer infrastructure costs and will be paid in full by June 30, 2026.

Before the vote approving the contract with Noland and Son, Councilmember Bryant Brown asked if the city was working with gas companies to ensure the new sewer pipes are insulated in case they conflict with gas lines.

One of the gas companies “working next to my house,” Brown said. “They’re saying anywhere the gas crosses over your city water or sewer, [the pipes] are supposed to be insulated.”

“It’s made a lot of people nervous because of some recent homes that have exploded,” Brown continued.

Anderson responded that the city coordinates with utility companies. He added that the sewer pipes will be spaced out as a buffer and placed at a much lower level to avoid crossing gas lines.

“Some of the things that we do see when they’re out fixing pipes is they’ve had a leak, so they’re out there as soon as possible,” Anderson said. “Sometimes they’re out there before even signing a permit because it’s an emergency situation.”

The construction crews’ working hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays.

Location and vicinity maps of the sewer rehabilitation project. (Courtesy of Midvale)