Softball Project Delayed Due To Pipe Failure

Work on Avery Trace Middle School’s new softball field delayed to due a pipe failure.

Deputy Director of Schools Tim Martin said the main drainage pipe under the school’s athletic fields is falling apart due to age. Martin said they discovered the issue when they dug some fifteen feet into the ground to connect new drain pipes for the softball field.

“It’s concrete pipe and it’s basically crumbling under the ground,” Martin said. “And so we’ll have to dig that up and put new pipe down there and then hook our pipe onto it. It’s not something that’s dangerous or anything like that, but it’s something that’s just not going to work if we don’t fix it.”

Martin said replacing the main pipe is going to cost the district around $100,000. He said it is unknown how long the project will be delayed but he has high hopes that the field will be ready for softball in the spring.

“We’re hopeful that we’re going to have everything finished before wintertime sets in and we can’t work on it anymore,” Martin said.

Martin said they are already working to replace the line as the rest of the project is essentially at a standstill until it is fixed.

“They’re still doing some leveling on the back part of the field and on the soccer field, but they won’t be able to do anything else,” Martin said.

Martin said they have informed the city of the issue in case the pipe is failing anywhere else.

“I don’t know how far along that pipe goes,” Martin said. “It’s not just on our property. It runs across our property but it goes across several properties as well.”