Village of Logan Manager Larry Wallin explains that grinder pumps like this one will be used in connecting homes of Ute Lake residents living south of the 540 Loop to the village's new sewer system.

Workers have begun installing new pipes.

Crews lower a 12-inch line into a trench dug by Enrique Mendoza, project foreman and operator.

Phase I in the construction of the $13 million sewer pipeline project for the Village of Logan began Tuesday.

Crews of the contracting company SAMCON INC. of Albuquerque, broke ground on the sewer project, said Larry Wallin, Village of Logan manager.

"This first phase will introduce the service to 400 new customers," Wallin said. "Construction should be completed in 500 days."
The new customers are Logan area residents  who now rely on septic tanks.

Crews were trenching and laying the 12-inch pipeline that will connect the sewer line to the two new lined evaporation ponds just east of the village.

"It will take us about three hours to trench and lay the pipeline," said Enrique Mendoza, project foreman.

Wallin said that the first phase of this project will cost $7.8 million. He said that $4.3 million of the cost is being paid for through a loan from the USDA.

"The yearly payment on the loan is $223,000," Wallin said. "The second phase will cost $5.9 million."

Some questions have been raised about the construction of a wastewater treatment plant versus the evaporation ponds for Logan.

The construction of a treatment plant in Logan is just not financially or technologically feasible at this time, Wallins said.

"Logan's population grows and shrinks throughout the year," Wallin said. "Over the weekend we had 25,000 additional people in Logan for Memorial Day. Several times a year our population jumps and shrinks back down."

The three ponds that the village has been using have been in operation since 1972, Wallin said. "We have had no major problem with the ponds."

There will be a first-time, hook-up charge to connect to the new sewer lines, Wallin said. The new service service hook-ups will be mandatory for all residents.

For those customers who can rely on gravity to move their waste the cost will be $1,000 and for those customers who live south of the Loop Road, it will cost $2,000. The additional $1,000 covers a grinder to allow waste to moved to a lift station.

However, the homeowner will not have to pay for the draining and disconnection of their existing sceptic tanks.

Wallin said that the sceptic tanks will be emptied and modified according to New Mexico Environmental Department's regulation. The modification will prevent the homeowner from using the sceptic tank again.

Wallin said that the safety of residents is a top priority for the village during the construction.  He said that the village will hold public meetings to inform the public about the construction and any delays or hazards that might arise.

"At one point, the pipeline will be 23 feet deep," Wallin said. "We do not want anyone to fall or hurt themselves in those trenches."
Wallin said that the construction crews operating in Logan will mean increased revenue for local businesses.

"The crews will be working for four days a week (Monday to Thursday)," Wallin said. "The workers could stay at local motels through the week and eat at our restaurants."

Phase I equipment:
•17,000 square feet of 12-inch pipeline.
• 6,500 square feet of 8-inch pipeline.
• 20,800 square feet of 2-inch pipeline.
• 4,300 square feet of 3-inch pipeline.
• 275 grinder pumps/lift stations
Total square footage of pipeline in Phase I : 48,600