HOLMES BEACH – In response to questions raised by residents and city commissioners, Holmes Beach Public Works Director Sage Kamiya addressed the ongoing Manatee County water main replacement project occurring along 65th, 64th, 63rd and 62nd Streets between Marina Drive and Holmes Boulevard.
During the April 8 city commission meeting, Commissioner Terry Schaefer said a resident asked him about the project.
“I think we’ve all driven by it and there’s an odor that’s coming from it. I was surprised the odor’s that pungent from our groundwater,” Schaefer said. “It’s not our project. They’re behind schedule and we unfortunately have no role in supervising it.”
Commissioner Dan Diggins said residents also contacted him and he asked Kamiya to provide an update. Kamiya said the county contacted the city about a year and a half ago regarding the need to replace some aging water mains and the city has no control over the project and no inspection rights.
Kamiya said the water table has to be lowered where they’re laying the new pipes and the groundwater displaced during the dewatering process is producing the odor Schaefer mentioned.
“You’re smelling the sulfur that is naturally occurring,” he said.
The dewatering process also creates standing water along Marina Drive and the impacted streets between Marina Drive and Holmes Boulevard are lined with barricades, equipment, materials, excavated areas and more.
Kamiya said the county anticipated completing the project in January or February and now hopes to complete most of the work by the end of April, but some additional cleanup and other work will still be needed.
In reference to a previous county water main replacement project that encountered significant delays, Diggins said, “We don’t want this thing to turn into another Holmes Boulevard.”
Mayor Judy Titsworth cited post-hurricane labor demands as a contributing factor.
“Everybody is behind. Every single trade is behind and there’s just not enough workers out there,” she said.
