AUBURN — It shouldn’t be too hard to come across a construction site this summer in Auburn, and it will be mostly related to the replacement of 1900s-era water and sewer pipes. 

And you could see even more next year.

According to Sid Hazelton, superintendent of the Auburn Water and Sewerage Districts, the volume of work this summer — replacing about one mile of water pipe — is typical. Next year, he said, “we hope to ramp it up to one-and-a-half miles per year.” 

With a lot of land and roads, comes numerous water and sewer mains. For Auburn that means approximately 130 miles’ worth. 

Current water main projects include the replacement of 3,300 feet of 1900s-era cast-iron water main on Lake Street, and 1,600 feet on Cook and Eighth streets.

Later this summer, water main replacement projects are planned in the neighborhood of School, Pearl, and Pine streets. 

In June, as crews from the Auburn Water District were working to replace the main along Lake Street, they found a date stamped on the old cast-iron pipe: 1910. A post on the department’s Facebook page said Auburn paid 45 cents per foot for 6-inch cast iron in 1910. Now, just the scrap value of the same cast iron is $6.60 per foot. 

At the same time, sewer main projects include over 9,000 feet of relining and replacement on Cook, Eighth, and Lake streets. 

According to Hazelton, replacing the aging pipes will keep the crews at the Auburn Water and Sewerage Districts “busy through this construction season, and well into the forseeable future.” 

The Auburn Water and Sewerage Districts are quasi-municipal, with operations funded by Auburn residents and businesses. In order to keep costs down, Hazelton said, they partner with the city of Auburn to coordinate replacement projects with road reconstruction projects.

Hazelton said Auburn, like many cities, has several miles of “old, unlined” cast-iron water main in its distribution system.

“Our sewer system is comprised of a lot of unreinforced concrete and clay lines,” he said. “As with the water system, we plan to accelerate the replacement schedule to improve reliability and integrity.”

For more information on the Auburn projects, road closures or the schedule, contact the district office at 784-6469. 

Lewiston also has its own set of projects scheduled. The city completed a series of sewer projects in the downtown neighborhood last year, and this year has one slated for Oak Street. 

Starting June 27, construction began on an underground stormwater storage tank on Webster Street. According to the city’s website, during construction, Webster Street will be closed between Pond Road and Forrestal Street, and traffic will be detoured through the Lewiston Industrial Park. The project is expected to take one month to complete. 

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