OCWA is undertaking these cleaning & lining projects to rehabilitate the existing 8” & 6” cast iron water mains, which are causing discolored water issues due to corrosion.
The first step in the cleaning and lining process is the exploration phase. An OCWA representative will mark out the existing mains and locate all curb boxes to the house. They will mark the main & curb boxes in blue paint and with blue flags. OCWA personnel will exercise each curb box to ensure that it is working properly.
The next step is to address any issues identified in step one. OCWA crews may need to dig up and repair any curb boxes that do not work properly. OCWA may need to install temporary hydrants and/or blowoffs to facilitate the testing phase.
During the testing phase a pre-construction flow test is performed on the mains to be rehabilitated. Unfortunately for our customers in the area this will result in some dirty water due to the heavy flows initiated by OCWA. Residents in the area will be notified before this testing occurs. OCWA will have staff on hand to deal with any dirty water complaints and we will work diligently to get the systems back to normal as quickly as possible.
Once the pre- construction flow tests have been completed OCWA’s contractor will begin setting up a temporary (above ground) water system. These temporary pipes are run along curb lines and yard areas in the road right-of-way. Access will not be restricted to driveways during this process. This temporary water system requires temporary services to be installed to maintain domestic water service. Customers are contacted by our Contractor, Mainlining America, to set up dates and times when they may access residences to disconnect existing services and install temporary ones.
Cleaning and lining projects generally take two months to complete. Below are the typical steps involved in the construction process:
- Temporary water service piping installed, disinfected, and tested.
- Upon Department of Health approval, residences are connected to the temporary water system.
- The existing water main is isolated and drained of water. Access holes are installed every 300-600 feet to facilitate the cleaning and lining.
- During the lining process it may be necessary to gain access to homes to blow out any debris that may accumulate in service lines from the process.
- Once the lining is completed and the pipe has been disinfected, tested, and approved by the Department of Health, customer services are switched back over to the newly cleaned main.
During these projects, some lawns and driveways in the road rights-of-way will be dug up. Upon completion, all lawns and driveways are restored to their former condition. OCWA takes preconstruction photos and video of the project areas to ensure that restoration is completed properly.
For any planned interruption of service, customers are notified 24 hours in advance by our contractor placing a door hanger at the residence with the shutdown information. Throughout the process there may be interruptions in water service due to unforeseen circumstances. OCWA makes every effort to keep this time of interruption to a minimum. Customers will notice brief interruptions in service on the day their water service is transferred to the temporary water main and the day it is transferred back to the existing water main.