Sparta has purchased a new sewer camera to conduct in-house line inspections.
City Administrator Brad Hennessee said the purchase means savings for the city.
“The typical sewer project has about 10 percent of the project dollar amount in sewer inspections both on the front end and after the project is complete, so we think that this could have an immediate first year savings of $50,000-$60,000.”
Hennessee said the camera costed about $97,000, but the city will be out only $2,500. Hennessee said the Wilson Pump Station sewer project finished under budget allowing the purchase. Hennessee said the grant funding agency of the station project agreed to reimburse the purchase with the remaining funds.
“We had some money leftover on the ARC grant the Wilson Sporting Goods Pump Station,” Hennessee said. “We had $94,500 leftover in that project, so we petitioned ARC.”
Hennessee said the purchase has been in the works for some time. $75,000 was budgeted this fiscal year for the equipment, but the city will save the majority of that money now, Hennessee said.