The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

July 15, 2008

DIY drainage project saves thousands in Clark

By Matt Snyder

Sometimes if you need to get a job done, it’s best just to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself.

When Clark faced storm water problems that flooded residential property and the borough didn’t have the money on hand to pay a contractor to fix it, councilman Richard Dunlap said council members decided to fix it themselves.

“We got talent, and if the people are willing to use it we can save the municipality money,” said Dunlap, whose own yard is affected by the problems.

Dunlap, a former engineer, headed up the purchases and rental of construction equipment. Councilman Clark Eberhart, a military retiree, handled the backhoe while the borough’s Road Supervisor Larry McKnight helped position a concrete catch-water basin on Tuesday.

Between them, borough council members plan on putting in about 90 hours this week getting fresh pipe and a basin installed that will divert flood waters off Nora Street, north of Woodlawn Drive.

Flood waters had been encroaching on yards and seeping into basements, including Dunlap’s, he said. When a neighbor complained to council, Dunlap – as head of their storm water committee – got the green light to look into a possible fix.

But the last engineering study pegged just the first phase of fixing Nora Street’s problems at about $42,000. Dunlap said he came up with a shaved down solution that would have probably contracted for $30,000.

A lot of those costs were marked-up fees for pipe and other construction materials, he said. So with donated labor and cheaper materials, Dunlap said the borough expects to finish the fix for under $10,000, which is also the threshold at which a municipality must bid projects.

The borough, which has revenues of about $220,000, just couldn’t afford the project, Dunlap said. Agencies like Mercer County Regional Council of Governments helped them bid out the materials for a decent price.

The project will include installing a catchbasin on the back of some residential property, along with about 140 feet of pipe, Dunlap said.

Dunlap chose to start installing pipe a bit further down the line than suggested by the original engineering survey by Winslow Engineers Inc., Hermitage. It means not having to rip up Nora Street itself, which will help save on costs.

Dunlap said a lot of people see council as full of “good old boys” who never want to get anything done.

This project, he said, is one way they’re trying to change things around.

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