Workers broke ground this week on a project to replace a 70-year-old water main on North College Street.
“The installation of this main is a continuation of the replacement of an existing water main on College Street that was initiated with the redevelopment of Toomer’s Corner a few years ago,” said Tim Johnson, principal utility engineer for the water resource management department of the city of Auburn.
The work started close to the intersection of Glenn Avenue and North College Street, near the Chevron, and will go past Regions Bank and Pita Pit until it ends up further south near the Baptist Student Center.
“Businesses should not be affected by the installation,” Johnson said. “Starting the week of May 15, parking along the west side of North College Street will be blocked off from Regions Bank to the Baptist Student Center”
While there will be little to no impact on traffic flow according to Johnson, a sewer main replacement later this month will close off parts of North Gay Street, North College Street and Glenn Avenue.
As for the water in downtown Auburn during the replacement, Johnson says the construction should not cause any problems for city water customers.
“Customers in the immediate area where the work is taking place may experience some slight, temporary discoloration of their water,” Johnson said. “If any customers experience this, they should flush their water lines by running their faucets for several minutes."
If the water does not clear up after several minutes of flushing, you should contact the Auburn Water Works Board.
The reason for the replacement is that the existing water main in the area is believed to be approximately 70 years old, according to Johnson. The new water main will be larger, which should improve capacity and reliability.
“All work is being performed with in-house Water Board personnel using standard construction equipment,” Johnson said.
If weather permits, the project is expected to be completed by the end of June.
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