Installation of water main (main line) complete!

The main line of water main is now complete! The contractor has begun installing fire hydrants. There are 12 new fire hydrants going in. Once the new water main is connected and in use, the old hydrants will be removed.

The contractor plans to test and clean the water main beginning next week. A pressure test is when the newly installed water main is filled with water to a pressure of 150 psi (pounds per square inch). The water main needs to hold that pressure for 2 hours. If the pressure were to drop, that could signal a leak. Leaks are nothing to worry about in this stage because the water main has not been connected yet, so they're easy to fix. After the pressure test, a water main is chlorinated to get it nice and clean. Then it is tested (to make sure there's not chlorine remaining in the system), and flushed numerous times. Once the main has been tested and chlorinated, services will begin to be installed. These will involve a shut-off to each house for a short amount of time. Everyone will be notified when this will happen. Once that is complete, the water main will get connected at all ends to complete the loop.

INTERSECTION AT SWAINWOOD AND ALVIN WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW

Tomorrow, May 21^st, the intersection of Swainwood and Alvin will be closed starting at about 9:00 AM. There is a water main vault and a deep connection going in that will necessitate taking up the entire intersection. Please plan accordingly throughout the day and take an alternate route. Residents that live on Alvin Court, north of Swainwood WILL be able to get in and out of the court via Swainwood to the east. Please allow a couple extra minutes.

Water Main Installation Continues

Water main installation continues along Swainwood Road. The contractor is very close to being done with the mainline on Swainwood. They will then move to the arterial streets (Pinehurst, Buttonwood, Alvin, Swainwood Cul-de-sac) and install mainline along them.

Thanks to everyone for their patience and cooperation with the construction and having to go around a different route than planned. The contractor has been doing a very good job of getting school buses through the construction zone, and we don’t foresee any issues with that.

Water Main Installation

Lenny Hoffman Excavating began installing 8” water main on Tuesday, May 5^th. They began at the intersecting of Spruce and Swainwood and have proceeded north. Residents may have noticed the shut down went slightly longer than planned, but everything went smoothly. The water main was connected to the existing water main on Spruce that was installed in 2007. The crew will install the main line of our new water main the entire length, while keeping the existing water main in service. Most water mains are on what is called a “loop” meaning that it obtains water from both sides. By attaching our new water main to the main on Spruce, once the entire new line is placed, it can be turned on while the old line is still in service from the Roosevelt end. The crew will then go back and start putting in the new service pipe to each house. That will involve a water shut off to each house, but only for a short time. Then, once everyone has their new service (will all new 1-1/2” Copper Pipe) the old main will get turned off, and the new main will be looped, making a complete circle. But this all happens over a period of several weeks.

You may see many “Road Closed to Through Traffic Signs” on either side of the crew. We ask that you please do the best you can to travel around the construction. Residents of course are permitted to get to their houses if right in the middle of things, but if you’re able to park on the street for awhile it would be appreciated! That way you’re not slowed down by the construction. If you do need to get around the trucks and equipment, please allow a couple extra minutes. The crew will be notifying residents on the side of the road that we’re working on when that resident’s driveway will be out of commission. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation!

Before Photo

Construction Schedule

Due to all the rain we've been having lately, the contractor is starting slightly later than they had hoped. If you haven't noticed yet, there are some white paint lines along the roads. This is approximately where the new water main is going to be located. On Monday, the contractor will be bringing out a little "pavement zipper" which will loosen up the pavement right where we want the water main to go. Then they should start pipe installation on Tuesday!