Politics & Government

First Hill Water Mains Project Enters Final Phase

City engineers estimate the overall cost of the three-year water mains replacement project will at $2.5 million. Scheduled completion of the final phase of the project is set for Oct. 2012.

Work on the final phase of the First Hill Water System Improvement Project continues to make progress in the 's overall goal of rebuilding First Hill's aged water system.

The city hired R.L. Alia Company (Alia) earlier this year to help complete the final phase of the project earlier this year to install water mains, fire hydrants, and complete service improvements to the First Hill Pump Station. The repairs affect homes that lie between SE 29th Street and SE 36th Street, and between 71st Avenue SE and 74th Place SE (see map attached to the right of this story).

The work was needed to replace aging and undersized water mains in the First Hill neighborhood, according to City Hall. In several areas, the fire flow capacity was below the minimum standard of 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm), as defined by the City’s Water System Plan, adopted by the Department of Health in 2008. This current work will provide much-needed improvement to water supply and fire flow for houses in the area.

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City engineers estimate the overall cost of the three-year water mains replacement project will at $2.5 million. Scheduled completion of the final phase of the project is set for Oct. 2012.

Since the last project update from the City on March 26, Alia crews have completed the following:

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  • Installed 1,330 feet of new 8-inch water main on portions of 72nd Avenue SE, SE 34th Street, and 72nd Place SE.
  • Installed 670 feet of new 8-inch water main on SE 32nd Street.
  • Installed 260 feet of new 8-inch water main SE 36th Street.
  • Completed 6 of 13 water main connections.
  • Installed 3 new fire hydrants (now in full service).
  • Converted 90% of existing gravity supply lines to pump lines to increase water pressure.
  • Completed 44 of 139 water service replacements.

During this week (April 23), Alia has planned the following work:

  • Cut and cap 4-inch water main on 72nd Place SE.
  • Install new 8-inch water main on portions of 72nd Place SE (between SE 34th Street and SE 36th Street).
  • Make three water main connections on SE 32nd Street at 72nd Avenue SE and 74th Avenue SE.
  • Continue water service replacements on SE 29th Street and 74th Avenue SE.

City Hall advises residents will be impacted by disruptions to the water supply and traffic delays. There are a number of water main shutdowns scheduled which will occur between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. Affected homes will be given notification the week prior to shut-off.

City Utilities Engineer Rona Lin said that as of April 20, Alia's work remains ahead of the proposed schedule. Additional information is available on the project webpage.

β€” Information from the City of Mercer Island


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