Dear neighbors,
Here is a report on last Thursday evening’s water main meeting, as prepared by Rick Bond & myself:
WSSC has hired EBA Engineering, Inc., to design the replacement of about three miles of water mains in our neighborhood (as specified in the map & address list shared earlier). These mains are 60-80 years old, and are the cause of our not infrequent “brown water” incidents. The new mains will have a lifespan in excess of 100 years.
Work is scheduled to begin in Spring of 2017, and to end in Spring of 2019. Normally scheduled work will take place between 8 AM and 4 PM, Monday through Friday – there may be some occasions when work must be conducted in “off hours”.
During construction, temporary water service will be provided. Water shutdown periods of up to 8 hours may take place; if longer shutdowns are required, then bottled water will be provided to the affected homes. 48 hours advance notice will be provided of any shutdowns. They provided advice regarding dealing with “brown water” (which may happen off and on during the work) – running the cold-water bathtub tap in the highest bathroom to clear “brown” is advised, as tub facets, unlike sink facets, do not have strainer filters that can get clogged.
We can sign up now for mobile notification of relevant shutdowns via the WSSC Customer Notification System link at wsscwater.com
No parking will be permitted on streets with “active” construction. All roads will be accessible at all times, however there may be temporary closures or delays, e.g., when bringing in big pipes.
New water mains will be placed under the pavement (not on county rights-of-way contiguous with front lawns, where some mains are now located). “Service lines” from the mains to homes will be replaced – either to the home (if you have a water meter inside your home – which is rare), or to the “curb box” (which is a circular piece, about 6″ in diameter). Older houses may have a galvanized pipe running from the curb box to the home; we were advised to consult a plumber (always best to get multiple bids) regarding updating that with copper pipe. The service life of those galvanized lines, like the service life of the original water mains, is over; they may leak, and it’s less expensive to replace the pipe before having to pay a surprise bill for a big water leak that you didn’t know about until you got your three-month water bill.
Some trees will be taken down where the trees compromise the piping; we are awaiting an estimate of how many.
After the work is done, affected roads will be resurfaced, and yards restored. Work will be done in 3-4 “phases,” each of which must be substantially complete, before the contractor moves on to the next phase.
The WSSC representatives were very courteous, willing to answer questions, and to work with our community. Project staff are:
Wanpin Lee – Project Manager – phone 301-206-8532 [email protected]
Kevin Lethbridge – Construction Manager – phone 301-206-7339 [email protected]
Stephen Billingsley – Contract Manager – phone 301-206-7363 [email protected]
Brandon Stewart – Customer Advocate – phone 301-642-1712 [email protected]
Joseph Danquah – Design Engineer – phone 240-547-1127 [email protected]
As the time grows closer to construction, they will be willing to have another meeting with the community.
With best regards,
Jim Pekar
President, RCHCA
P.S. Here’s one of our neighborhood’s youngest residents, with her mother, early Friday:
<https://goo.gl/photos/k9mmv6UxQSQtdUir7>