Beginning the week of January 30th, Dave O’Mara LLC will begin the long awaited watermain extension project along Ohio Avenue. This project is expected to take approximately 3 weeks. There should be minimal traffic impacts as part of this project.
Scope: A new 8″ watermain will be installed from an existing watermain on Enterprise Drive near McDonald’s, along Ohio Avenue. This watermain will tie into an existing watermain near the corner of Ohio Avenue and Carolina Avenue.
Reason: The Hill N’ Dale neighborhood is currently provided water from a single 6″ watermain that comes under I-65 from W. Utica Street that is fed from the downtown water tank. Because Hill N’ Dale is a dead-end area of the water system, there have been years of discoloration and water pressure complaints.
Why does the water become discolored to start with? Over time, due to the lack of constant flow, there is buildup of mineral deposits inside the pipes. These deposits occur when there is a reduced water demand. Back when Hill N’ Dale was designed, it was done so to be a contained water loop. The expectation was the demand for water would be enough to prevent buildups of mineral deposits. Unfortunately, this design did not work. Compounding the issue is a smaller than normal watermain supply that impacts pressure and the ability to effectively flush fire hydrants.
Outcome of the Project: The new connection at Hill N’ Dale will create a new loop within the water system that connects the Hwy 60 water tank and downtown water tank. This secondary supply will help to positively impact the long-standing issues of times of low pressure and discoloration.