Folsom approves mile-long sewer repair for $6.3 million. Here’s why it cost so much

Folsom is spending millions of dollars to improve a mile’s worth of its sewage system along a busy corridor.

The city’s environmental and water resources department, identifying infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement projects, flagged approximately one mile of its 27-inch-diameter sewer line on Folsom Boulevard between Bidwell Street and Blue Ravine Road as “needing improvements,” according to city documents.

The City Council approved the project April 25 with a cost outlay of $6,270,156 — roughly $1.2 million under budget — according to Marcus Yasutake, the city’s environmental and water resources director. The city decided Mozingo Construction Inc. would install about a mile of 21-inch-diameter sewer line adjacent to an existing 27-inch trunk sewer as part of the upgrade.

“The overall budget listed in the current fiscal year (2022-2023) for this project was $7,471,945,” Yasutake said. “All I can say is that the costs are reasonably expected given the size of the project, the location of the project, and the current market for construction projects.”

City documents say the existing sewer line has potential near-term capacity concerns. This means it should be tended to within five years, according to Yasutake.

In a breakdown of the project provided to The Sacramento Bee by Yasutake, the project’s pre-design analysis cost $128,400, the design and environmental work was estimated at $388,135, the purchase of approximately 5,000 feet of 21-inch-diameter sewer pipe costs $431,262, the construction itself is the most expensive at $4,918,900 and construction management and inspection is estimated at $403,459.