By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó The town board is ready to hire a construction company to begin work on its water-system improvement project.
The board will meet Monday to pick a contractor. Bids have been received and itís up to the board to select the company for phase one and phase two of the project.
The town has a 12-inch line that runs through South Zion Street and customers need to be added to the new line.
The town was approved for a USDA loan of $2.9 million and a grant of $1 million for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements in January 2008.
In January 2009, the town came across a grant program that could be used to pay the loan portion of this project. The town later discovered it would not get the grant and had to start the process all over again.
Town Engineer Mike Acquesta explained pipes will be reconnected on some of the townís side streets to the main 12-inch waterline down Zion Street in phase one.
ěThey are now connected to an old cast-iron, 8-inch line,î he said.
About 21 fire hydrants will also be replaced in phase two of the project. The town will abandon the 8-inch lines.
There will be hundreds of people who must be reconnected to the 12-inch line.
Residents will not be disconnected until connection to the larger line is ready, Acquesta said. The disconnection and subsequent reconnection will take about 30 minutes and will be done during the day when generally most people arenít home.
Whatever lines that are not replaced and new lines connected in phase one will be done in phase two.
The board will also consider approving a budget amendment in the Street Department for recycling.
The town board meets at town hall, 312 S. Main St.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.