The cost of repairing the water main that spilled l4 million gallons of water in downtown Minneapolis earlier this month is now is estimated be $325,000, according to City Engineer Steve Kotke.
The break in the main occurred when a worker driving a crawler to attach a sewer connection ruptured the cast-iron water main, which is three feet in diameter and more than an inch thick. A subcontractor of the Ryan Cos. apparently employed the worker.
The cost of the water is estimated at $65,000. The city also spent $160,000 on materials and equipment rental for the repair effort. The cost of labor by city employees is set at $100,000, which includes workers from the Water, Traffic and Sewer departments.
“We had a lot of people involved,” said Kotke. Crews worked around the clock and through the weekend to repair the gashed pipe, re-open Hennepin Avenue to traffic and restore water service to the area around the break at Hennepin and Second Street North.
“At this point, we’ve turned the issue of settlement over to the City Attorney’s Office,” he said.
The repair costs to the city do not include damage to private property or the vehicles in the Post Office Parking Ramp that flooded.
