Water main project under way in PI
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
WORK IS UNDER WAY by the Presque Isle Water and Sewer District on upgrades to water mains along a section of South Main Street. Work is expected to continue throughout the summer, with completion expected in September.
PRESQUE ISLE — A project to replace the sewer and water mains on South Main Street gets under way this month. The project includes the installation of about 1,200 feet of sewer main and about 2,000 feet of water main.
“The work will occur on South Main Street between its intersections with Maple and University streets,” said Steve Freeman, director of the Presque Isle Water and Sewer District.
The contractor for the project is T. Buck Construction of Auburn. The consulting engineer for the project is Woodard & Curran of Bangor.
Upgrades were deemed necessary to improve capacity and flow.
“The sewer and water mains are being replaced because the existing mains are too small. The project is being done this year because the Maine Department of Transportation plans to pave South Main Street in 2013. After the paving is done, there is a five-year moratorium on doing underground utility work in the street,” explained Freeman.
The new mains will improve the reliability of sewer and water service along South Main Street. The new water main will also improve public fire protection in the vicinity of the campus of the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
“The total cost of the project is about $769,444. The sewer utility part of the project will be paid by grant funds from USDA Rural Development and a loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund Program. The water utility part of the project will be financed with a loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund Program,” Freeman said.
The project should be completed by early September. Work will impede the flow of traffic on South Main Street.
“People living and working in the area should take this traffic disruption into account while traveling to and from home or work,” said Freeman.
For more information, call Freeman at 762-5061.
