Drinking water line replacement project a $3 million project

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Picayune City Council, Jonathan Hickman, representing the City Engineers office, made a request to the council to advertise for bids for the Drinking Water System Improvements Project.

The goal of this project, according to Hickman (pictured), is to eliminate all existing transite water pipes that have began to fail by cracking. This project will focus on the areas in most needed of line replacement which includes Ponderosa subdivision, the Chateauguay subdivision, and the Telly Road area. Transite lines are made of a concrete base, and over time, begin to crack due to long term pressure.

Hickman said that once a transite pipe breaks and cracks, it is nearly impossible to tie it back into the water system.

Public Works Director Eric Morris explained, “This project is not going to get rid of all of the transite (pipe) in the city, it will get rid of it in these areas.”

Hickman explained that the city applied for a State Revolving Funds loan years ago and has been doing the engineering design for this project over the past year.

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program is a federal-state partnership to help ensure safe drinking water. The DWSRF program provides financial support to water systems and to state safe water programs. Hickman said this project is estimated to cost $3 million.

Cracked section of transite pipe on display in Public Works office at City Hall

Morris said that the current transite pipes were installed in the 1960s and he estimates that the city has approximately 52,000 feet of pipe (approximately 10 miles).