By Khalida Sarwari
Crews are hard at work on Saratoga and Cox avenues to replace an aging water pipeline.
Work on the 12-inch pipe began June 18 and is expected to last through August. Thus far, about one-third of the pipeline has been installed along Saratoga Avenue, according to Ed Lambing, a director in the engineering department at the San Jose Water Company.
“The project is being done to replace facilities identified to be in poor condition and are a threat to water quality,” he said.
The pipe was installed in 1950 and has undergone numerous repairs over the years. The SJWC has recorded at least seven leaks in that span and in its previous evaluation of the pipeline, the company determined the pipe was due for a replacement.
Lewis and Tibbitts, an underground utility contractor, was tapped to conduct the project, which will also entail the disinfection and flushing of the water main, transferring of services and pavement restoration.
Around 50 customers are expected to experience a temporary interruption to their water service over the course of the project, Lambing said. The interruption will likely last between two to six hours, he said. For the most part, the new pipe is being installed while the existing pipe remains active.
“We have to make sure that the water that is carried in the new pipe is clean and suitable for use. It’s quite a challenging thing to get all that done with as few limited interruptions to our customers as possible,” Lambing said.
Traffic and noise impacts will also be inevitable and construction activities will necessitate some lane closures, he said. The work is being conducted during regular business hours.
The project is being privately funded by the SJWC, according to Lambing. The company is an investor-owned public utility that serves more than 1 million people in the San Jose metropolitan area, including all residents of Saratoga.
Crews work to repair aging water pipeline at Saratoga, Cox avenues
