Emergency fix under way for failed Town water main

Work progressed this week on laying two water line sections to replace a failed 60-year-old main along a 1.5 mile stretch of north La Conner-Whitney Road.

Crews were working on the final 100 feet of replacement line Monday afternoon, said Town Public Works Director Brian Lease.

The two four-inch sections will tie into an existing 14-inch main to serve 10 homes in the affected area.

An aging eight-inch La Conner-Whitney Road line dating to the 1950s ruptured last week, making necessary the emergency fix.

Once the twin line sections pass inspection, arrangements can be made on an individual basis with residents to turn off their water while service is switched to the new format.

Rather than installing a full-length replacement line, the Town opted for the shorter sections, in part to cut project costs.

“It’s a less expensive way to do this,” Lease says of the stop-gap measure.

The Town’s long-range Capital Improvement Plan calls for a major upgrade of its La Conner-Whitney Road transmission lines, replacing them with a single larger main designed to handle anticipated water service demands going forward.

The Town Council will be deciding this winter whether to advance the construction schedule. Shelter Bay’s board of directors must decide to buy water through La Conner or switch to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. That decision will determine the size of the pipes installed and the scope and price of the project.