FAQ
Many variables will determine the total time required to replace the line. In some places underground impediments can slow progress but usually a typical line replacement project takes 4-6 weeks from the date of first excavation to final resodding and landscaping.
In some instances it is unavoidable that access will be impeded for a short period. In such circumstances we try to notify home and business owners that there is to be restricted access as soon as we deem it necessary. In most instances the limited access is usually only a few hours, but on rare occasions it may be longer. If access is to be restricted for longer than 1 day we provide temporary access at the end of each day until the next morning.
Normally, there will be a few planned water supply interruptions during the course of the project. The first shut down will be brief, 1 -2 hours, while we attach your residences’ meter to the new line. The next shut down will be a longer interruption, 2-4 hours (and sometimes longer depending on conditions), so that we can connect the new system. You will be given a written 24 hour notice on your front door prior to the longer shut downs. There are instances during construction where we may inadvertently break or damage the line causing and interruption. Although rare, it can be a cause for you to lose water service. At no point will your water be out for a period of longer than 8 hrs. If you experience an interruption for longer than 8 hours or come home from work and have no water, please contact us immediately.
Safety is a very high priority for our men and YOU! We emphasis that you please drive slow through our work zones, look out for our men and be aware that there will be heavy machinery operating on the street and yards. We will also be excavating holes and trenches to install the new water main. PLEASE avoid these areas and PLEASE make sure you keep CHILDREN AWAY from our work site. There can be trip hazards that remain in your yard until we complete the final grading and sod replacement. Please avoid the ditch line as much as possible until we have finished working in your yard.
Respecting your property is very important to us. We do our very best not to damage private property. In the event you feel we have damaged your property, please contact us immediately so that we can resolve the issue. We make a pre-construction video of the project prior to beginning our construction activities to protect us and you. This video will record the street, sidewalks, driveways, yards, flower beds and other items that might be in our work zone. Please note that property lines generally start about 13 feet behind the curb.
Each project that is scheduled for new water mains is different. Generally speaking, we use a technique called “boring” that will allow us to install the new pipe under obstacles like trees and flower beds. However, there are cases where digging in a flower bed or landscape feature is unavoidable. If we do affect your landscaping, we will do our best to return everything to original condition. Regarding you driveway approach; In some cases, the engineer designs the project to remove most approaches, in some cases we bore under the approach. If at all possible we prefer to bore the approach but each project is different. If you are needing to know for sure, please call us and we can tell you what the engineer has specified for your particular address. Trees are very rarely affected by our construction. We have bored under hundreds of trees without losing any during our 19 years of construction. In some instances, we have had to trim tree limbs that are in the work zone but that is typically the worst scenario.
Usually on the opposite side of the street of the old line and will be located 3' - 5' behind the curb.
If we happen to dig through your sprinkler system we will repair the system back to working order. You can help us minimize the actual damage by helping us locate the sprinkler heads and marking the sprinkler lines if that information is available. Marking you irrigation system is not required but is very helpful. Also, once we have put down the sod, please run the system to see if everything is satisfactory. If not, give us a call and we will come back and fix the issues. Please do not call your sprinkler maintenance man to make repairs and expect us to pay for this work. We will take care of the issue.
This is a common occurrence and again you can contact us at (405) 463-5665 and we will be happy to come and remedy the situation.
Hydrant locations are determined by the project engineers and are usually located on the property line.
Engineers design the project and indicate which drive approaches are to be removed and replaced. We have absolutely no control over this issue. If we do remove your drive approach and replace it, we will inform you prior to this work taking place. Additionally, if we do tear out your approach, we will “temporary” your approach so that you will still have access to your residence.
Yes, we would be happy to put you into contact with our sub-contractor or help you directly. Please understand that this is completely seperate from the work being performed for the city. If you elect to replace your entire driveway, that portion of the job must be completed 1st and then we would replace your approach upon completion of the the drive replacement.
If you see running water from a hydrant or “test station”, this is an indication that we are in the testing phase of the new water main. We are required to fully flush the system and test the system for purity to insure that your water meets the standards set forth by the ODEQ. Running the water constantly is part of the testing procedure. If you see water coming from the ground or a meter box, this could very easily indicate that there is a leak and we should be contacted immediately.