Ohio American Water will begin a project to install new water main on Thompson Street in the City of Marion next week. The nearly $200,000 project will extend north from Silver Street to Roma Street and involves the installation of approximately 1,100 feet of 8-inch water main, 2 fire hydrants, and the installation of a new meter pit for every customer within the extents of the project.
The project is designed to improve the water quality, reliability and fire service for Ohio American Water customers in this area.
“Many of the water mains in the Marion system were installed in the early 1900s. We monitor these water mains and prioritize their replacement based on a number of variables, including increased maintenance costs and water quality issues,” said Marion District Operations Manager Richard Kemple. “The maintenance of the existing pipes, coupled with corrosion and sediment accumulation over the years makes these water main replacements necessary."
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, to continue ensuring high-quality drinking water, the nation’s water utilities will need to invest about $335 billion over the next 20 years. Ohio American Water’s investment in main replacements in Marion is an example of the company’s continuous investments and improvements that are being made, to help meet the demands of today’s customers and plan for the future.
Most of the new water main will be installed using “directional drilling” methods. This environmentally-friendly technique minimizes the amount of excavation and disruption to adjoining properties. Traditional trenching will be used where valves, fire hydrants, service lines are installed.
“If it is necessary to excavate at or near a customer’s property, the excavation will be backfilled as soon as possible. Any disturbance of trees, lawns, driveways, sidewalks or other facilities will be restored as close to its original condition as possible,” Kemple added.
