An Arlington Water Utilities water main renewal project scheduled to begin this week will lead to the replacement of about 25,000 feet, or five miles, of aging water mains near Collins Street and Arkansas Lane.

Under a contract approved by the Arlington City Council, Murphy Pipeline Contractors will use a trenchless replacement method to install 6 to 12-inch water mains. The project involves a section of streets west of Collins Street, north of Mayfield Road, east of Brown Trail and south of Arkansas Lane. Work also will include a portion of Daniel Drive, north of Green Hill Drive and south of Mayfield Road. The map below, which was mailed to affected homeowners earlier this month, shows the streets where mains will be replaced.

2018 Water Main Replacement Project Map

The trenchless main replacement process involves pulling new water main through existing pipe instead of digging multiple trenches. It requires limited excavation, minimizing construction time and disruption to customers. Construction will move from street to street throughout the project, which is expected to last about nine months in all. The expected cost of the project is about $3 million.

"Customer satisfaction is a top consideration with our department and trenchless methods create more efficient and aesthetically pleasing projects. Residents get the benefit of new water mains without having contractors working in front of their homes for weeks at a time," Arlington Water Utilities Senior Engineer Jessie Allen said.

Arlington Water is responsible for 1,425 miles of public water main. The City's capital improvement program strives to target high maintenance water mains, efficiently spend residents' dollars, and reduce construction time and customer impact.

The sections of main to be replaced in the project starting this week were chosen because of a history of breaks. Most of the mains being replaced were installed in the early to mid-1970s. The new HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipes being installed are flexible and non-corrosive. They are designed to last 100-plus years, reducing maintenance and repair costs that are eventually passed along to residents.

Water service interruptions are not expected throughout the project. However, if interruptions become necessary, residents will be notified door-to-door, in advance for planned outages and as quickly as possible for emergency outages. Regular updates about water outages can be found at www.arlingtontx.gov/wateroutages.

For more information, visit the Water and Sewer Projects page at www.arlingtontx.gov/waterconstruction or email questions to [email protected].