CARBONDALE, Pa. — Crews are replacing water mains in Carbondale Township, digging up old lines to replace them with new ones. Pennsylvania American Water began a project costing more than $2 million to replace nearly 8,000 feet of water mains in several communities in Lackawanna County.
"Every year when we start looking at our infrastructure upgrade program, we'll look at areas where there's a history of main breaks or water quality issues, and those are the areas we target. in this area, there was a history of main breaks, so we're able to go in and increase the size of the pipe," said Susan Turcmanovich, external affairs manager with Pennsylvania American Water.
Four communities will see water mains replaced in Lackawanna County. One along Number 7 Road in Carbondale Township and others in Carbondale, Olyphant, and Peckville. The mains being replaced will be significantly larger to better serve customers.
"We typically see four-or six-inch pipe, which is what we have in those areas, and we're upgrading them to eight-and 16-inch pipe that increases fire flows and reliability for customers."
Some of the water mains being replaced are more than 100 years old. Replacing them is a preventative move so that there are no problems down the road.
"The older pipes that we're replacing are mostly cast-iron pipes. What we're putting now is ductile iron, so it's a little bit more solid, has a little bit longer of a service life," Turcmanovich said.
Winter weather can cause more problems for water mains. There have been several this past winter, and the age of the mains may not be a direct cause.
"It's hard to say that we have a lot of breaks on older mains because we're just as likely to have a break on a newer main. Whereas an older main, it really depends on what's influencing those pipes underground."
The projects are expected to be completed by June, and permanent paving is scheduled for August.
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