Notices

Installation of 1,025 linear feet of main was completed Main Street from the intersection of 1^st Street to the intersection with County Road 132A.  In addition, the new main was installed from the intersection to the south side of Main Street/County Road 132, and north to the first hydrant on County Road 132A.  Bacteriological samples for the section of main from the west end of Main Street to 2^nd Street were taken September 11 and September 12 and the samples were returned with negative results (no contamination).  Accordingly, a partial Engineer’s Certification has been submitted to the Seneca County Department of Health for their approval.  Also, several more hydrants, valves, and tees have been installed.

For next week, pending approval of the Health Department, work will begin to connect the tested section (from the west end of Main Street to 2^nd Street) to residences.  Meter change-outs will be coordinated with the completion of the connections.  We also expect to begin pressure testing, disinfection, and sample testing on the section of main from 2^nd Street to the intersection of County Road 132A.

We have encountered an unexpected issue.  An unmapped sanitary (sewer) main has been discovered running along the west side of County Road 132A.  It is located approximately 8 feet from the proposed location of the new water main (10 feet is the minimum allowable clearance).  We are currently investigating potential solutions and weighing the cost versus the convenience.  Please be assured that we will comply with all health and safety requirements no matter the solution. 

As since the project began, completions are outpacing initial estimates, with an average of 350 linear feet installed per week versus an original estimate of 250 linear feet per week. As of Friday, September 8, installation of the new main has been completed (1,070 linear feet) to a point between 1st Street and County Road 132A. The connection to the existing main at 2nd Street was completed and the new main has been pressure tested and chlorinated. Several more hydrants have been installed on the completed section.

Installation work on the main will continue up Main Street towards County Road 132A next week. Additional hydrants will be installed as well. Assuming that all testing results are positive, service installations to the new main could begin too.

One month into the project and we continue to see rapid results. As of Friday, September 1, installation of the new main (approximately 1,380 linear feet) has been completed from the west end of Main Street to the 2nd Street intersection. We have received the new fire hydrants from the distributor and four have been installed.

We have made a slight change to the project scheduling to support faster implementation. Wenzel Construction will be “tying-in” the new installation to the existing water system at 2nd Street to allow us to begin filling, flushing, disinfecting, and testing. This will require a temporary shut-off of water to customers (two) on 2nd Street of no more than four hours (probably much less than that) at approximately 9:00AM on Tuesday, September 5. Notices to those customers were hand-delivered on Friday. Assuming that all testing results are positive, service installations to the new main would begin on or around Friday, September 15. This will allow the Seneca County Highway department to begin work on the drainage improvements much sooner than originally planned.

Work will continue from Tuesday through Friday the week of September 1 due to the Monday holiday. The installation of new mains will move further up Main Street towards County Road 132A and additional hydrants will be installed.

Additional updates will be posted as they become available.

Work on the project is continuing at a fairly rapid pace. Last week, from Tuesday to Thursday, approximately 800 linear feet of pipe was installed which represents almost 10% of the total. One fire hydrant was also installed.

During this week, construction crews expect to install the remainder of the hydrants on the 800 feet of line that has been completed. In addition, work will continue along Main Street with the installation of more water main.

The weather has remained relatively cooperative, and we hope to continue the project without any significant interruptions. We are still on schedule to complete the installation portion of the project before the end of this calendar year, with testing to follow right behind.

We will post additional updates as they are available.

As we are sure you have all noticed, Main Street in Willard has been grooved in anticipation of the actual digging.  The Town Water Department has also marked all the existing connections to aid in locating them as we proceed.

Many of the materials have been received, although there are still a few items outstanding.  We will be using the parking lot on the former Willard DTC campus as a staging area.  Please be aware that this is still state property, and any trespassing is forbidden.

Some exploratory excavation has been done and actual water main installation is anticipated to begin on Tuesday, August 22 at the west end of Main Street.

We will post additional updates as they are available.

We wanted to share some additional information to help you better understand the project.  Essentially, the project calls for the installation of new water mains in the hamlet to replace some existing mains that are very old and very fragile.  The results of this will be a water delivery system that is much more robust and should eliminate the many fractures and leaks that we have experienced in the past.

Please be aware that the existing water service will not be interrupted until very near the end of the project.  New mains and all associated fittings, connections, etc. will be installed, the completed system will be sanitized, and an extensive battery of tests will be performed.  Once everything has been certified, existing connections to individual residences will be moved to the new system.  Again, this activity will take place very near the end of the project.  In addition, each individual transfer should not exceed four hours, barring unforeseen circumstances, so any interruption in the water supply will be short.

During the construction process, driveway access may be temporarily restricted.  This is because in many cases, the existing connections from the water main to the residence are under driveways, and to allow us to transfer service, we need to install the new connections very near to the existing ones.  We will do our best to notify you in advance when construction activity may impact your access.  We will also do our best to minimize any disruption.

We do want to warn you that as we will be working near to the existing mains, and as those mains are extremely fragile, a break may occur.  To prepare for that possibility, we have pre-staged repair materials in case they are needed.

Schedule
The project is scheduled to begin in mid-August and finish early next year, weather permitting. 

Impacts
Due to the nature of the project, there will be significant activities the length of Main Street (County Road 132) in Willard.  There will also be work performed on the lower (western) end of Prospect Street, and along County Road 132A between State Route 96A and Main Street.  While we will work to minimize impacts and provide adequate advance notice, for example when work impacts specific individual driveways, we will notify residents as soon as possible.  However, there will be occasional delays, so please plan accordingly.

Expectations
As part of the project, drainpipes and catch basins will be installed on Main Street and the ditches on the north side of the road will be filled.  This should eliminate flooding problems and make mowing easier for residents.  Roadways and driveways will be usable, but final paving will not occur until near the end of the project (in calendar year 2024).

Major Participants
The principal contractor performing the construction work is Wenzel Landscaping, Hunt EAS is providing engineering services, and the Seneca County Highway department will be working very closely with Wenzel.  The Town of Romulus Water Department will oversee the work and provide assistance as needed