Painesville recently received $200,000 in state funding to replace the water line on West Eagle Street ahead of a road reconstruction project currently planned for next year.
The funding from the Ohio Public Works Commission includes a $150,000 grant and a $50,000 zero-interest loan, said Painesville Water Superintendent Orin McMonigle. The city will contribute additional funds to the project, which will include the replacement of the main line with an 8-inch PVC pipe.
Workers will also replace 45 individual service lines and increase the number of hydrants along the street from five to seven, he added.
McMonigle believes that the project will be bid out in June, as the OPWC funds will not be available until July. He hopes that work will be finished by the end of the year, though he added that “depending on the lead time on materials, that may not be a good hope.”
The engineer’s estimated price for the project is $423,000, he said. In addition to the OPWC dollars, the city has budgeted $223,000 from its water department fund.
McMonigle said that the current water line consists of 2,200 feet of cast iron and dates back to 1962.
It has been given a rating of five on the city’s 2023 water main asset ranking list, which he described as the poorest rating. Factors for the rating include a pipe’s age, material and number of breaks.
“For the size of the main, it’s had more breaks than it should,” McMonigle said.
He said that it is “very unlikely” that officials will close both sides of the street during the replacement project. Water may be disrupted to individual properties for a few hours when they are being switched to the new line, though he said that customers will be notified ahead of time when that happens.
“We’re excited to be able to get this replaced, and we appreciate the help from OPWC,” McMonigle said.
