La Conner-Whitney Road water main project almost done

Bill Reynolds | Jan 16, 20190

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ALMOST DONE – The water main construction project along La Conner Whitney Road is way past the stage this photo captured Jan. 7. If the weather holds, or the crew moves fast, they will finish with paving, striping and cleaning up after themselves by the end of the week. – Photo by Ken Stern

Tiny Bubbles was a big hit for singer Don Ho in the 1960s.

But his feel-good signature tune was about tiny bubbles in wine, not water, as was the case for some La Conner-Whitney Road residents when their homes were recently connected to a new water main between Young Road and McLean/Downey roads.

Short of turning water into wine, the issue was addressed last week by flushing lines to rid them of the air bubbles that can cause tap water to appear cloudy, said Town Public Works Director Brian Lease.

Lease said air bubbles in tap water, while an annoyance, pose no danger despite the cloudy or milky appearance.

“In a few seconds,” said Lease, “the water clears up. But we got it right after flushing those lines.”

Lease said air can get into water pipes after a temporary interruption in service, such as when a new main is installed.

Lease said primary construction work on the new 16-inch main, which runs along the west side of La Conner-Whitney Road, has been completed. Paving, roadway striping and general clean-up work was scheduled this week, he said.

Motorists driving north from La Conner have been detoured east onto McLean Road to Best Road during the course of the project.

The new main, about 8,000 feet in length, replaces a failed eight-inch line and a parallel 14-inch line servicing La Conner and Shelter Bay that can no longer meet peak demand and fire flow requirements.

The La Conner Town Council last July approved a $1.5 million revenue bond for the new main.

Construction was originally scheduled to be completed in mid-December. Rainy weather and the holidays pushed completion into January, Lease said.

“Overall,” he said, “the weather has been great. We probably lost about a week due to weather. And then with Christmas and New Year’s falling on Tuesdays this year the contractor (SVR Construction) decided to shut down for the holidays.”

Getting the job done is cause for celebration on the parts of both the town and affected residents.

Just don’t expect anyone to mark the occasion by singing along to old videos of Tiny Bubbles.