A significant downtown water infrastructure project to replace 125-year old water pipes along Washington Street and Main Street is slated to begin Monday, March 22. The six-month project is expected to have traffic impacts, and limited durations of water shut-off as infrastructure is replaced.

The project will replace 3,000 feet of some of the oldest water distribution pipes in the downtown area with a new ductile iron pipe that will provide reliable water service for the next 100-plus years.

 

The City of Dover contracted with N. Granese & Sons, Inc. to complete the project. In the first part of the construction, the contractor will install isolation valves on the side streets, adjacent to Main Street and Washington Street. These streets include Central Avenue, Broadway, Chapel Street, School Street, Portland Avenue, Young Street and Henry Law Avenue. Isolation valves are necessary for the contractor to replace the water main along Washington Street and Main Street later in the project.

Installing the isolation valves will include daytime excavation to locate the existing water main and nighttime installation of the new valves. During the nighttime valve installation, water will need to be turned off in sections to ensure safe working conditions. Nighttime working hours are from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. The City will identify areas where water will be turned off through regular project email updates and door hangers to individual properties.

Water shut-offs are not anticipated to last longer than eight or nine hours at a time. However, residents are encouraged to have bottled water on hand throughout the construction project in case of an emergency unplanned water shut-off.