A Nevada transportation department spokesman this week said it was not at fault for an August 2009 sewage pipeline burst that shut down a portion of State Route 28 for about two days and ultimately cost the district about $225,000.
"There is no concrete evidence of faulty installment of the culvert," said Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Magruder in a Thursday phone interview. "If we felt it was our responsibility, we would pay for the damage."
At Wednesday's Incline Village General Improvement District Board of Trustees meeting, General Manager Bill Horn said the pipeline burst was at least partially the fault of an NDOT-hired contractor that installed culverts beneath the road.
Since the burst pipeline shut down the road, he said it was prudent for the district to sign a purchase order immediately in hopes of accelerating the repairs, thereby accommodating tourists, residents and other municipalities that rely on open road access throughout the Tahoe basin.
Once that purchase order was signed, Horn said, IVGID forfeited the right to recoup money from NDOT.
On Thursday, Joe Pomroy, director of Public Works for IVGID, said the pipeline break was located directly beneath the recently installed culvert, while the pipeline on either side was in very good condition.
"Our engineering report concluded the cause of the break was from third-party damage," Pomroy said. "The installation of the culvert caused the initial damage, and at some point, nature further corroded which created a fissure in the pipe."
Because of the environmentally sensitive nature of the Lake Tahoe Basin, Magruder said NDOT officials are extra careful to ensure everything is done according to engineering specifications.
"Over the past decade, NDOT has spent over $30 million in erosion-control projects, drainage culverts designed to divert road run-off from the lake, drop inlets and mud-slide intervention just to name a few," he said. "Going the extra mile to protect the environment and make sure the job is done right is a huge part of the road-building process in the area."
IVGID Trustee Chuck Weinberger on Wednesday urged the district to begin exploring additional avenues to recoup the $225,000, including suing the contractor used by NDOT for negligence.
"I think there is pretty good evidence the contractor is negligent... " Weinberger said.
During the meeting, IVGID officials said NDOT refused to provide the name of the contractor responsible for the culvert installations.
Magruder on Thursday denied that claim.
"The name of the contractors we use on public projects is a matter of public record," he said. "There is no cover-up or attempts to keep things silent."
Magruder said NDOT will research its past project list and provide the name of the contractor and provide it to IVGID upon request.
Both Horn and Magruder stressed the necessity of having a positive interagency working environment.
"It sounds like we need to sit down, have a meeting and resolve any problems that remain," Magruder said. "We are very willing to cooperate."
