Mitchell approves West 6th Avenue sewer renewal as three-block programme takes shape
Mitchell, South Dakota · Meeting date: October 19, 2026 · Published: October 20, 2026
Mitchell City Council has awarded Menning Excavating a $103,304.57 contract to replace a failure-prone sanitary sewer on the 600 block of West 6th Avenue. City staff said it expects to return with a change order that could lift the work across three blocks to $182,527.
Key points
- Council approved the $103,304.57 quote from Menning Excavating for the 600 block of West 6th Avenue.
- The existing sewer has suffered repeated plugs caused by tree roots over the past several years.
- The approved scope includes 590ft of 8in PVC sewer, two 48in manholes, six service reconnections and a temporary sewer bypass.
- Staff said two further blocks have similar issues and may be added through a later change order, bringing the programme to $182,527.
- The work will use remaining sewer-collection funds from the 6th Avenue Lawler-to-Burr project; staff reported just under $385,000 remained available.
Full report
Mitchell City Council has authorised a $103,304.57 sanitary sewer replacement on the 600 block of West 6th Avenue, addressing a pipe section that city staff said has repeatedly plugged because of tree-root intrusion.
The council approved the quote from Menning Excavating at its 19 October meeting. The contractor was requested to quote for the work alongside Holmme, and staff said Menning was the lower-priced bidder. The pricing is based on unit prices from the 13th Avenue Reconstruction Project, which was publicly bid on 22 April and awarded by the council on 4 May.
The approved work includes removal of three existing sanitary sewer manholes and installation of 590ft of 8in PVC sewer pipe. It also covers two new 48in manholes, six 8in-by-4in sewer wye connections, six service reconnections, video inspection and a temporary bypass. Associated restoration items include pavement removal, subgrade geotextile and base-course work.
The award may be the first stage of a wider West 6th Avenue intervention. During the meeting, staff said it had identified two additional blocks with sewer problems and was considering adding them to the contract rather than waiting until the following year. Including those blocks would bring the total construction amount to $182,527, according to staff.
However, the council's vote covered only the $103,304.57 quote for the 600 block. Staff said it would bring a change order for the additional work at a subsequent meeting, using extended bid items from the 13th Avenue project under state statute.
Funding is to come from remaining sewer-collection funds associated with the 6th Avenue Lawler-to-Burr project. Staff told councillors that just under $385,000 remained in that funding source. Even after a three-block programme, professional inspection fees and asphalt restoration, staff said it expected sufficient funds to remain.
Following sewer installation, the affected area will likely be maintained in gravel over winter before paving is undertaken in spring, staff said.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council Meeting, Mitchell