AUBURN – Granite Street residents could lose water for about an hour next week as crews begin a water line maintenance project.

On Monday, crews from Auburn Water District will begin building a temporary above-ground water line system for 11 homes along Granite Street between Fern and Davis Streets.

Crews from New Jersey-based Fletcher Cramer will be there a week working on the underground lines, according to Water District Superintendent Norm Lamie.

They’ll use a machine to scrape the insides of the underground line, then coat it with a layer of cement.

“It prevents corrosion, and we have been doing it for a number of old lines in the city,” Lamie said. Called a clean and line, the process costs about $23 per foot – compared to $100 per foot to replace a water line.

“With just one project, we’ll easily extend the life of that water line by 50 years,” Lamie said. “It’s in pretty good condition now, so it’s more efficient to just go ahead and line it.”

Lamie said city crews should have temporary water pipes installed along Granite Street later this week. Homes along the street could lose water pressure for about hour while the city switches service from the underground system to the temporary pipes. Service to the rest of the community shouldn’t be affected, he said.