A major sanitary sewer expansion is on tap for a North Arlington neighborhood early next year, but city officials are reaching out now to explain the project to area residents.

Design of the Village Creek 27-inch Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Project, which will run from Park Hill Drive to Green Oaks Boulevard, is currently underway. A public hearing for the project was conducted on Monday and more meetings are scheduled with residents in the upcoming months.

The project, which is a component of the City's wastewater master plan, involves installing a 27-inch diameter sanitary sewer pipeline to replace the current, smaller 12 and 18-inch lines that are at or near capacity. The effort is designed to increase the sewer system efficiency, replace aging infrastructure and provide for future access for maintenance.

Approximately 4,000 feet of sewer line is expected to be installed. Officials said the project would be conducted with the least impact to residents, but traffic would be disrupted in the area throughout the seven-to-nine month length of the project.

Residents asked questions about the project's scope and consulted maps at Monday's public hearing. Much of the work will be done underground, officials said. Some residents also will be contacted about land the city may need to add four easements to accommodate the project.

Terry Benton, assistant director of operations for the Water Utilities Department, said the antiquated lines in the area make the project necessary to improve the overall system.

"This line is 30 years old," he said. "It is aging and we are experiencing capacity issues."

He said reaching out during the pre-design phase allows the City and residents to talk about the project's advantages and challenges.

"Before we get too far down the road, we want everyone to understand what we're doing and why we're doing it," Benton said. "We want to get their feedback now."

He said construction through the area will be inconvenient to residents, but they will have access to their homes and a new road when the project is complete.

Officials said the hilly topography in the area made the project a particular challenge and 35 different alignment configurations were considered.

"We wanted to look at the cost and minimizing the impact to properties," said Mia Dia, graduate engineer for the Water Utilities Department.

The city is seeking $2.3 million from a Clean Water State Revolving fund loan for the project. City capital improvement funds could cover any additional costs so residents' wastewater utility bills are not expected to increase due to the project.