City upgrades underground infrastructure to stay ahead of failures
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- One step at a time, the City of St. Joseph is actively working to repair many of its aging pipes.
SAK Construction, LLC., a pipeline rehabilitation contractor working with the city, spent Monday morning repairing one of many pipeline segments it has addressed citywide so far this year. The goal is to fix deteriorating infrastructure that has caused sinkholes, water leaks and other structural issues, or to prevent such problems before they occur.
"The City of St. Joe is very advanced compared to other municipalities," said Cary Shaw, SAK's business development leader. "They conduct their own inspections and evaluations to determine which pipes need attention. Based on their budget, they decide what we can complete for them within the year."
St. Joseph has opted for cured-in-place pipelining (CIPP), a more cost-effective alternative to traditional pipe replacement. Major pipelining projects have already been completed this year on heavily traveled roads such as Faraon Street, St. Joseph Avenue and Mitchell Avenue.
So far in 2025, 22 pipeline segments, totaling nearly 7,400 feet, have been rehabilitated across the city. The final segment under this year’s budget was completed on South 38th Street. In addition, SAK will rehabilitate 14 manholes in town this year.
News-Press NOW previously reported that the city spends an average of $2 million to $2.5 million annually on CIPP lining for sanitary sewer rehabilitation, with plans to increase this investment, especially as officials address rising sewer rates.
The CIPP budget for work completed by SAK throughout St. Joseph has averaged between $750,000 and $950,000.
"The city's been around since 1840, so there are a lot of different pipes that were installed long before many of today's buildings," Shaw said. "The concern with these pipes is determining their age and being proactive about repairs before they fail completely."
By prioritizing preventative work, officials hope to avoid costlier emergency repairs down the line.
