(CUC) — A new watermain system in San Vicente that has been under construction since March 12 nears completion. The contractor, GPPC, is now ready to connect new pipelines to the existing water system.
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. will work with its contractor on Saturday morning, May 19 , 2007 beginning at 8 to make the connections.
Two miles of distribution pipes are now installed that replace cracking watermains that contained asbestos.
These new pipes serve 64 lots in San Vicente, and a total of 75 new water meters are in place.
“With older cement pipes being replaced, we will not have so many water leaks. As customers pay by a smart meter, they also conserve water. This means that the people in San Vicente will soon enjoy longer water hours due to our efforts to fix leaking pipes and conserve water,” said CUC’s water division acting manager Mariano Iglecias.
Customers in Upper San Vicente receive water from 4 to 7a.m.; water is released to Southern San Vicente from 5:30 to 7 each morning.
On Saturday, May 19, these customers will receive water without interruption.
However, there will be a water outage for most of San Vicente on Sunday, May 20.
This is because the water will be turned off during Saturday’s construction project, preventing water from being piped and stored in to holding reservoirs, and there will be very little or no water to release to customers on Sunday. Water hours will resume Monday.
The water utility will then test and pressurize the new system in an effort to create longer water hours for these customers because the new pipelines are larger and carry more water. More importantly, the new pipes are constructed of PVC, not concrete, and do not contain hair-line fractures that leak and waste water as with older pipelines.
With the San Vicente watermain replacement project complete, the island now has a total of seven sections of water distribution lines that still contain asbestos; however, the substance cannot be transmitted in water. Asbestos is known to be an airborne (dust) hazard that occurs when the cement is broken up or disposed. All of the remaining cement-asbestos lines are slated for replacement as U.S. and local funds allow.