Abandoned sewer line a problem for local farmer

An abandoned sewer line that has been causing low water problems in a farm field just east of the Holton city limits was the subject of lengthy Holton City Commission discussion this week, with commissioners noting that more research is needed before the sewer line should be capped or removed.

During Monday’s regular commission meeting, rural Holton farmer Lee Doyle met with commissioners to reiterate his concerns with the abandoned sewer line, which was reportedly abandoned by the city in the late 1980s. Part of the line has collapsed, causing “backups” that have resulted in wet spots on Doyle’s field as well as concerns over possibly costly farm equipment damages.

Even though the abandoned sewer line is allowing rainwater and groundwater to get into the field rather than sewage, commissioners agreed that the line “should have been capped a long time ago,” as Commissioner Erich Campbell put it. How to alleviate Doyle’s problem, however, still needs some investigation.

“Until we have more of the facts, it’s going to be tough for us to reach some type of agreement,” Holton City Attorney Dennis White told commissioners. “I think we have the right to cap the line, but as far as the clay tile, we need to have our people and Lee look at it a little bit closer.”

The “clay tile” in question involves a section of clay tile sewer pipe on the north section of the line that was originally installed in that area more than a century ago, commissioners noted. Doyle said his concern with that section of the line involves broken pieces of the line possibly jutting up through the ground while farm work is being done.

“I put a combine through that area,” he said. “If a piece of clay tile goes through a tire on that combine, that’s $5,000 for a new tire.”

City employees had previously attempted to “patch” the line after it was abandoned, Doyle told commissioners, but concerns with standing water in the field still remained. But when commissioners suggested that city employees go out and make more repairs to the line or cap it, Holton City Manager Bret Bauer raised questions of his own.

“Why would we fix something we don’t utilize, something that was abandoned 20 or 25 years ago, that we don’t have an easement to perform work on at the present time?” Bauer asked commissioners.

Doyle appeared amenable to granting city employees that easement, but another section of the line listed as a cause for concern — a manhole on the south side of Doyle’s property near Kansas Highway 16 — may be located within a Kansas Department of Transportation right of way, Bauer said. However, commissioners suggested plugging the manhole could stop more water from getting into the field.

Whatever course of action is taken, they agreed, would require more research as well as an agreement with Doyle on what the city will do with the line.

“Everybody needs to be on the same page when it comes to what we’re going to be doing,” White said. “At some point in time, I would like for us to file a release of this easement and likewise have Lee have some input on that as well, so we don’t have that combine tire rupturing in 10 years or whatever the case might be.”