Colman residents are urged to mark their calendars for an important informational public meeting scheduled for May 13, 2024, at 6 pm. The meeting, which will take place ahead of the next City Council gathering, will offer insight on upcoming sanitary sewer and water utility improvements.
Previous work to replace aging infrastructure has been done on the north side of Highway 34. The work, scheduled for this summer, will be south of the highway.
The water and sewer upgrades are part of a multi-phase project funded in part by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Shane Waterman, lead engineer for IMEG, the firm overseeing the project, said that it’s time — existing water and sewer lines, some even made of clay, date back 50 to 100 years.

The initial phase of this year’s project involves installing new lines throughout the Southern Heights addition. It will be followed by the rehabilitation of sewer lines west of the city, and as the Highway 34 reconstruction project progresses, the sewer systems crossing the highway will also undergo replacement.
Waterman stressed the importance of public awareness regarding the forthcoming disruptions, because it will impact residents day-to-day.
“We’re actually working with adjacent property owners to create a detour route that we have to build and take back out,” explained Waterman. “It’s a whole process; we want to make sure people can get into their properties even though the street will be torn up. Our lives are so full of day-to-day needs; as much as we can, we want to get people into their property and their yards.”
The meeting will offer insight into the proposed work and its anticipated impacts on property owners, emphasizing the city’s commitment to ensuring minimal disruption to residents’ daily lives during this essential infrastructure overhaul.
He encouraged community members to reach out with any questions or concerns, even if they are unable to attend the upcoming meeting.