Work on the Drainage Improvement Project to prevent storm flooding at East 12th Street North and First Avenue East in Newton is progressing. City staff says work has moved onto the second phase of the project, which cost $256,168. The second phase is the construction of a regional stormwater detention basin on a 1.5-acre city-owned lot north of Walgreen’s. The detention basin will hold stormwater during large rain events before releasing it into the existing storm sewer to prevent flooding. 

The first phase was the removal of a sanitary sewer siphon in the 1200 block of North 6th Avenue East. Newton Public Works Director Joe Grife says a siphon in a sanitary sewer is when a portion of the main is constructed lower than the main, allowing wastewater to flow into the lower pipe and then be pushed back up to the main at the other end. According to Grife, the siphon was removed by reconfiguring the storm and sanitary sewers to maintain a consistent grade in the sanitary main between manholes. 

Central Iowa Excavating of Kellogg is doing the work, which is being funded by the First Avenue East Tax Increment Financing District and Water Pollution Control Enterprise funds.