By Natalie Cook

December 11, 2006 | HYDE PARK -- The rapid rate of population growth in Hyde Park will soon necessitate a new school. However, the city's sewer resources are insufficient to support the new buildling.

Hyde Park citizens can expect a new elementary school within the next 5 to 10 years. The land for the school on the northeast corner of town has been set aside and paid for. Unfortunately, with the solution to the influx of youngsters, a new problem arises -- from the sewers. The sewer system in the northeast portion of Hyde Park has pipes that are too narrow to stand the pressure a new school would provide, and the sewer system's current 11-year-old design is inefficient.

To make matters worse, the school isn't the only necessary addition that would exacerbate the sewer problem. A 200-home housing development project is also underway in the same area -- another build that will soon become necessary due to the rapid population growth.

"The way Hyde Park is growing, the town's population will probably double in 50 years," Mayor Dave Kooyman said.

The City Council decided to do something about the problem before everyone had a big stink about it. "If we don't do something, we'll be full of it," Councilman Bryan Cox said.

The council has assigned Scott Archibald at Sunrise Remodeling the messy task of redesigning and updating the sewer system. Next Wednesday, Archibald will present the council with three layout options Sunrise has drafted. Based on the amount of money in the city sewer fund, the council will choose one of the three and begin the sewer improvement project.

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