Asheville continues with water improvement project

By: Kevin Justus | News Channel 7
Published: July 11, 2008

The City of Asheville will begin the next phase in the West Asheville water line repair and replacement project, part of a series of projects paid for by a $40 million revenue bond Asheville City Council approved in 2007. The following lists start dates for water line installation:

West Asheville Projects
Work is scheduled to begin on Louisiana Avenue and Mardel Circle on July 13. Dartmouth Avenue is scheduled for August 10; Harvard Place begins on August 17 and Princeton Avenue begins on August 31. The start date for Ormond Avenue is September 7, Wood Avenue is scheduled for September 14. Parker Road is set to begin October 12.

During construction, roadways will be reduced to one lane in work zones. Motorists should expect traffic delays and plan to use alternate routes when possible.

Impact of Improvements
These water line replacements and upgrades are a part of the City of Asheville’s commitment to upgrading aging infrastructure and ensuring reliable water service. The projects moving forward as part of the city’s bond program have been a high priority because of the age, type of pipe, and lack of fire protection in various areas of the system. With these improvements, the City of Asheville Water Resources Department states it will be able to provide more consistent water service to many customers. New water lines will be larger and of upgraded material and less at risk for breaks, according to the city.

Businesses and residents are not expected to lose water service during the project until the switch to the new lines is made. The city will schedule service switchovers with the goal of avoiding customer loss of water service during peak usage hours.

Ongoing Projects

Projects in the Kenilworth area, the Central Business District, Royal Pines and Brevard Road continue to progress.

Asheville Water Resources’ bond program is financed by funds generated from a capital improvement fee that currently appears on water bills. This fee is dedicated to funding long-term water system improvements.

As the program progresses, additional information can be found here.