Kensington Water Main Project

The Kensington water main and lead service line replacement project will begin the week of July 22 and will be substantially completed by early October.

Project plans are available at this link

The new water main will be located underneath the sidewalk on the north side of the street. It will be installed by directional drilling, which will not require an open cut excavation for the entire street, but will require a series of excavations along the sidewalk where gate valves and fire hydrants are located. The project plans available at the above link show the location of where the excavations will be located at the Woodward intersection, and at 15, 37, 39, 53, 55, 75, and at the train tracks.

On-Street Parking and Driveway Access

No on-street parking will be allowed between 7am and 5pm. The contractor will need room to work on the north side of the street. We will be temporarily allowing on-street parking along Indiana for Kensington residents as needed during this project.

During some periods of the water main installation process the contractor will need to lay assembled sections of new water main on the ground crossing driveways. This will cause temporary blockage of the driveway. The contractor can lift the pipe for you to get into or out of your driveway while they are on-site working, but be aware that if they are not on-site you may have your driveway blocked. Please plan accordingly, as this will be a periodic inconvenience.

Lead Service Line Replacement

All lead service lines will be replaced as part of this project. The service line is the pipe that runs from the water main to your water meter and supplies water to your house. There are two parts of the service line: 1) the publicly owned portion between the water main and the stop box, which is located along the sidewalk, and 2) the privately owned portion between the stop box and the water meter inside of the house. Please refer to this illustration.

All properties will have a new public service line installed from the water main to the curb stop box that is next to the sidewalk. If any portion of the private service line between the stop box and the water meter inside of the house contains lead, we will replace the private service line as well. All new service lines will be 1” diameter copper line. If your existing private service line is copper, it will not need to be replaced.

The process to replace the service line requires our contractor gaining access to your basement. Our contractor will work to ensure that your basement and yard are not disturbed to the greatest extent possible, and in most cases the only exterior excavation needed is a 5-foot by 5-foot area at the stop box by the sidewalk. If your basement is finished and walls or millwork must be removed to access the service line, you will have to arrange for repair or replacement of that on your own.

Once your service line is replaced you must flush your plumbing. Click here for flushing instructions.

Restoration

All concrete and lawn areas disturbed during the project will be replaced. Lawn areas will be replaced with topsoil and seed. Homeowners can elect to have sod replacement at a cost of $375, which is the cost difference between seed and sod restoration. Contact City Hall at 248-541-2901 if you would like to elect for sod replacement.