Rural Water District No. 5 outlines plan for north–south service line to supply Augusta Airport and Rose Hill wastewater plant

Ken Coffin, vice chair of Rural Water District No. 5, addressed the Augusta City Council on Aug. 18 to announce plans for a north–south service line that would run along the west side of Augusta Airport and provide new capacity, fire hydrants and a connection to the Rose Hill wastewater treatment plant.

Coffin said the district has been coordinating with city staff and engineers, and that the district received revised drawings from Schwab Eaton (the district’s engineer) that were submitted to the city’s engineers at Holson. Coffin said he expects a response from city engineers soon and that the districts hope to start installing pipe this fall.

What’s proposed: Coffin and city staff described replacing the airport’s existing 4-inch main with a new 12-inch main that would link to the district’s transmission main. The larger main would increase capacity to the airport, allow for fire hydrant installation for fire protection and support potential future hangar development that could trigger building-code suppression requirements.

Engineering issues: Coffin and city staff said the design required revisions after field measurements showed conflicts with existing infrastructure; as a result, parts of the route will be open-trenched rather than bored. Coffin said easement agreements are under negotiation and that the project carries time pressure to begin pipe installation this fall to support the Rose Hill treatment plant and airport needs.

Attribution: Ken Coffin, vice chair of Rural Water District No. 5, spoke to the council and publicly stated the timing and engineering details. City staff confirmed revised drawings are under review by the city’s engineers; staff noted the change from boring to open-trench in one segment and said they expect comments from Holson Engineering shortly.

Next steps: The district and city will continue engineering review and finalize easements; if the city’s engineers sign off, crews could begin trenching and pipe installation this fall. Coffin asked the council to note the timeline because the work affects the airport’s fire-protection capability and the Rose Hill wastewater plant connection.

Ending: No formal council action was taken at the Aug. 18 meeting on the rural water line; the presentation was recorded as a visitor comment and will return to staff-level coordination and permitting.