The Austin City Council approved a $9.5 million construction contract Wednesday to replace more than 2,000 plastic water service lines with copper lines in 62 subdivisions.
Water service lines are smaller pipelines that run from the water main, typically located in the street, to customers’ meters connecting to their private plumbing lines.
According to Austin Water, in the late 1960s many utilities began using polybutylene and polyethylene for installing new water service lines. Over time, these plastic resin materials have proven to become brittle and more prone to breaks.
Polybutylene water pipes are no longer accepted in United States building codes. Austin Water estimates that about 25,000 poly water service lines were installed throughout its system from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.
These plastic lines are “the primary source of service line breaks in our system,” said Greg Meszaros, Austin Water Director. “These replacements will improve reliability for customers, decrease the cost and inconvenience of emergency repairs and help reduce water leaks.”
Since 2001, the utility has replaced more than 3,000 poly service lines with stronger pipe materials. With the contract approved Wednesday, once completed, 5,000 lines will have been replaced, leaving an estimated 20,000 lines that use the outdated materials. However, Austin Water says it “may execute additional contracts to further expedite the replacement process.”
The contractor selected by the city, Austin Underground, Inc., offered the lowest of four bids in September when the city put the project up for bid. The company bid $8.64 million, an amount that included a $500,00 allowance for private plumbing repairs. Additionally, the council authorized a 10% contingency up to $864,000, for a total contract not to exceed $9.5 million.
The work will begin in 2022 in areas with higher water pressure (exceeding 105 pounds per square inch) (view map). Austin Water says it’s prioritizing these areas because higher water pressure coupled with the brittle pipe material have resulted in a higher number of breaks compared to areas with lower pressure.
As the work progresses, there will be planned temporary water service interruptions. Customers will be notified at least 48 hours in advance.
Separately, the council also approved a $7.7 million contract with Santa Clara Construction, with a $772,000 contingency, for the Hyde Park Water and Wastewater Pipeline Renewal project. The project is part of the Renewing Austin Program, an ongoing effort to replace and upgrade deteriorated and aging water mains with a documented history of multiple breaks.
This project consists of the repair and replacement of existing water and wastewater mains located within the general boundaries of 48th Street (North) to 45th Street (South) and Evans Avenue (East) to Avenue D (West) in Hyde Park.
The project also includes the addition of sidewalk and bikeway improvements mostly on Speedway, Avenue F, Duval, and 47th Street.
