Suwannee Avenue drinking water main replacement

  • Published
  • By 325th Civil Engineer Squadron
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Civil engineer contractors are replacing the Suwannee Avenue drinking water main, with an estimated completion date of March 2013.

The original cast iron pipe was installed in the 1940s and is past its life expectancy of 75 years.

"Just under a mile of pipe, to include isolation valves, will be replaced with modern 10 and 12-inch PVC piping with a life span of over 100 years," said Maj. Michael McCourt, 325th Civil Engineer Squadron operations flight commander. "The new system will greatly reduce base water outages and potentially save millions of gallons of water."

Drivers should expect minimal impact to traffic as the contractor will bore under prevalent roads to avoid cutting them, however work may expand onto road shoulders and edges, and safety cones will be used to alert drivers.

"Some facilities will experience two to four-hour water outages as they are tied into the new line," Major McCourt said. "These outages will be coordinated well in advance with facility managers, and every effort will be made to schedule the work during non-peak hours to alleviate inconveniences to building occupants."

Any questions or concerns about the water line replacement construction can be addressed to the 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs at 283-4500.