Ellijay-Gilmer County Water and Sewerage Authority board members approved an early step toward removing remaining asbestos cement pipe from the water system when meeting Monday, March 29.
Board members Mike Gibbs, Hubert Parker, Billy Rowe and Don Callihan OK’d accepting engineering bids for the project, which, according to water authority director Gary McVey, will focus on South Main Street from near the Hitching Post to just shy of the downtown square.
McVey said that’s the last section of transite (asbestos cement or “AC”) pipe in the system. Previous projects have removed other sections of the outdated piping including another part of South Main Street where transite line was replaced during the late ‘90s, he added.
“The last major project we did that got a lot of it out was probably the Corbin Hill CDBG project. On another project was on Old Tails Creek Road. River Street had transite as well and the project (on River Street) took care of it,” McVey said. “This one little stretch is what we’ve got left. We know the pipe has outlived its usefulness at this point and it would be a good time to go ahead and try to get it replaced.”
McVey said removing this section of underground pipe will be tough due to the amount of rock and hard ground involved and the location of the water line.
“That line is currently in the roadway coming up Main Street. We’ll have to let the engineers see if we can get them out of the roadway, but it’s very possible we may have to go back in the roadway with them,” he added.
Engineering for the project may be finished by the end of this year, but physical work probably won’t begin until 2022.
“We do want to move on it pretty quick. It’s been on our list for a couple of years now. We’ve been aggressively trying to get rid of this stuff. EPD has not mandated us to get rid of it, but we feel like it’s probably coming at some point in the future,” McVey said.
In other news ...
﹣ A boil water advisory was issued for part of Coosawattee River Resort below the intersection of Newport and Moonstone Drive following thunderstorms last Friday night that caused serious damage to the road, as well as a pipe rupture.
The water authority replaced the pipe that was washed away, McVey noted.
“We issued a boil water advisory because of that and all our samples came back good. We were able to lift that advisory Saturday afternoon,” he added.
﹣ More than 12,000 total feet of 8- and 6-inch pipe has been installed in a continuing water system extension project around the Roundtop Road area. All piping along Roundtop Road, Creekside Drive, Whispering Winds and Old Roundtop Road is complete, McVey said.
“They are currently working on a short section that goes along Sunlight Road. Then they will start the last phase of the project, which goes into the Lakeside Mobile Home area. We’ve also started, on a very limited basis, setting water meters for customers along the new line,” he added.
More than 120 new water meters are expected to be set as a result of the Roundtop project.
﹣ Board members approved accepting contractor bids for a future project that will install larger water line between Howard Simmons Road and Highway 382. McVey said a portion of that work has already been done due to the roundabout going in near the intersection of Highway 382 and Old Highway 5.
﹣ A sewer lift station for in-construction restrooms at Harrison Park is complete and power has been turned on to the site, McVey said. Construction of an actual bathroom building still remains, a project being handled by the City of Ellijay.