Public works reports recent water‑main repair, prioritizes asbestos‑cement replacement program

Public works staff on Jan. 8 reported a contained repair to an asbestos‑cement water main on Nurse Knack Hill Road and said the department is prioritizing replacement of AC pipe segments across town.

Jeff Morawski (public works staff) presented an overview of the water distribution system, noting three primary main materials by length — cast iron (about 41%), ductile iron, and asbestos‑cement (AC, about 17.5%). Staff said AC pipe generally dates from roughly the early 1900s to the 1970s and requires special handling for removal, transport and disposal due to state and federal regulations.

Morawski described a recent response: leak detection identified a pinhole leak on an 8‑inch main feeding a 4‑inch service at Nurse Knack Hill Road. Operations isolated the section, preassembled replacement fittings, and completed a repair that restored pressure the same day. Trevor Lewis, an operations crew member, preassembled the valve and fittings to minimize excavation and outage time.

Staff said recent and planned water main replacement projects — Butternut Circle, Silver Hill phase 1 (underway) and Silver Hill phase 2 (in design, bidding planned for spring) — will replace about 3.3 miles of AC main across four projects. Staff also noted that where feasible they coordinate water main work with road reconstruction to reduce duplication of excavations; in some areas the department is abandoning AC in place where replacement would be disruptive and costly, while prioritizing replacement where risk of failure is highest.

Staff noted compliance obligations and training: operations staff hold certifications to handle AC‑containing material safely and disposal facilities are limited (waste facilities for AC are increasingly located out of state). Staff said they continue to plan for contingencies during large public events and are lining up third‑party contractors if needed to ensure uninterrupted response capability.