The city is making good progress on replacing old water pipes, which is great news for fire safety and our water bills, thanks to some hefty federal grants. They just finished a few projects and are planning the next steps, likely in Somerset.
Here are the highlights:
- Overview of the water pipe replacement program provided by Council Member Dufour Woolfley.
- Pipes serving Liana Place & Hemm Place replaced for adequate fire hydrant pressure.
- All pipes in Heather Hills replaced as they were the oldest.
- Two Kenilworth projects accelerated; part A complete, part B awaiting federal approval.
- Next area for repair expected to be in Somerset.
- Water system funding relies on customer revenues.
- $4.3M in Federal Recovery money allocated for pipe replacement.
- Obtained $2.5M in Federal and State funding through collaboration with the Council and lobbyists.
- Project is long-term but progress continues, with regular water safety testing.
- Significant grant money ($6.8M) received to offset costs, reducing water bills.
- Public Works Department available for questions at 301-809-2344.
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City Water Pipe Work Updates
From Council Member Dufour Woolfley: I received some recent inquiries into the water pipe replacement program so I thought I would provide a quick overview.
Because this affects almost our entire district, I’ve been a big advocate for funding and accelerating the repairs. Here are some quick bullets:
Progress continues
– Pipes serving Liana Place & Hemm Place were replaced to ensure hydrants have adequate pressure to fight fires
– All pipes in Heather Hills were replaced as they were the oldest
– Two Kenilworth projects were accelerated by a year; part A is complete, and part B is engineered and awaiting federal approval as it uses federal grant money
– The determination of the next area for repair is pending, but is expected to be in Somerset
Funding
– The water system relies on customer revenues for operations
– I pushed, and Council concurred, to use $4.3 M in Federal Recovery money to fund pipe replacement
– Working with the Council, our lobbyists, our state and federal representatives, we obtained $2.5M in Federal and State monies
Much work needs to be done; this is a long-term project, but progress continues apace. Most importantly, the water is tested regularly and meets all safety standards. The good news is that the project has been accelerated, and we have been getting significant grant money ($6.8M) to offset costs. And that saves money on our water bill.
Questions about the pipe replacement can be directed to the city's Public Works Department at 301-809-2344.