Staff member says $4.2M Maysville-area waterline project will address recurring outages

A staff member said the municipality has budgeted $4,200,000 in the current fiscal year to engineer and build a waterline intended to address repeated outages affecting the Maysville area. "In this current fiscal year, the 4,200,000," the staff member said, noting about $400,000 is planned for engineering and roughly $3.8 million for construction.

The staff member said engineering work is already underway and the project will be put out to bid when that work is complete. "So construction's about 3,800,000," they said, but added construction may not be finished by next winter and some of the construction cost could roll into a later fiscal year.

The discussion covered contingency measures if a break occurs. When asked whether a valve would be installed to prevent outages, staff said the key valve is in the Lewisburg area and that the system could be backfed from Maple Leaf depending on where a break occurs between Mount Gillett and the county line. Participants noted recent tank repairs and a new pump station were expected to help if another line failure occurs.

Staff described attempts to obtain grant funding. "We applied for funds for the Maiselock waterline," the staff member said, adding the municipality scored poorly in the Kentucky Waters program. "I think we scored a 25. The highest scores were around 87, and those were the ones who got the money," the staff member said, and added that general-fund money has been budgeted so the project will proceed whether or not grants are awarded.

Officials and participants discussed priorities across the system: the pump main, a distribution main by Penns, and reconnections on Lexington Street. Staff provided cost guidance, saying replacement work can run about $100 per foot outside town and roughly $150 per foot in town because of obstacles and other underground utilities. As an example, staff estimated replacing the line from Lexington Street at Lexington Pike down 3rd to Plum Street could cost about $2,500,000.

Participants also questioned a proposed vehicle purchase for utility work. When asked why a new service truck was needed instead of a used one, a resident replied that used trucks with suitable utility beds are difficult to find and often extensively rusted, making a new vehicle more practical for utility operations.

Speakers emphasized construction quality after recounting past failures where pipe was laid directly on rock. Staff said modern materials and on-site inspection should prevent repeat problems; contractors will specify bedding and installation standards in future contracts.

Next steps are to complete engineering, put the project out for bid and proceed with work funded by the budgeted amounts; staff said the project will continue regardless of grant outcomes.