Main Extensions

It is sometimes necessary to extend the water main in order to reach new residences, businesses or institutions to be served. Acquiring water service by main extension is not an event, but a process with a number of steps, each contributing a required amount of time. The total time for the process must be taken into consideration by the developer, engineer or individual in their plan for acquiring water service.

Apply by sending a letter of request, four full-size copies of the development plan and a CD (in AutoCAD format) of the plan to:

Project Manager - New Development / Construction
Kentucky American Water
2300 Richmond Road
Lexington KY, 40502

Your letter should include the exact legal name and address of entity to be on the agreements, contact information for the developer's project manager and a brief description of purpose. The development plans shall have hydrants plotted and signed off on by the appropriate fire department and shall include a Best Management Practices Plan for Erosion and Sedimentation Control. Also provide a date when curbs and gutters are expected to be completed so we can prioritize scheduling of CAD piping design. (See Sample Letter .)

Process Description

• Developer submits two copies of plans to fire department for hydrant plotting (See Fire Department Submission List )
• Developer Delivers Application packet to KY American Water (KAW) who logs it in
• Plans are put in Queue for CAD design
• Once drawn, design is routed to hydraulics engineer for computer analysis and Division of Water permit
• At same time, piping design plans are routed to Project Manager - New Development/Construction (PM) who prepares estimates and agreements for the developer deposit based on average cost and sends them to developer for deposit
• PM assigns piping design plans to Operations Specialist for field inspection to verify measurements, note any deviations so piping plan may be installed and material ordered as designed.
• Field inspection is performed once curbs and gutters are installed in new subdivision, or grading completed to within several inches of final (where no roads will define route). The developer can assist with moving the process forward by informing operations specialist as soon as the curbs and gutters are in or the grading accomplished.
• Following field inspection, drawing is adjusted for variations by the CAD draftsman. If there is a significant footage / cost increase, KAW reserves the right to require additional deposit (after initial deposit it made).
• Once agreement and deposit is returned by developer, PM prepares bid and sends to contractors. At the same time, material is ordered and will arrive in 6-8 weeks. Approximately 10 days after send-out, bids are returned and evaluated
• Street cut and lane blockage permits are prepared and the task order estimated and approved for installation.
• Operations specialist receives confirmation of material arrival date, and coordinates construction start with the contractor.
• Main is installed, pressure tested for leaks, chlorinated, tested for chlorine residual, flushed, de-chlorinated, filled and tested for bacteria; all as required by DOW before placing in-service.

Timeline (assuming hydrant plots are completed before application packet is submitted)

• Approximately 2-3 weeks from receipt of request packet until project is designed and agreements and deposit request are sent to developer.
• Approximately 6-8 weeks after deposit is received from developer, field inspection is completed and material ordered, material will arrive.
• This is approximately a 2 to 2½ month process before construction can begin. Delay in developer's site being available for field inspection or in developer making required deposit will increase pre-construction process time.

Agreement Descriptions

There are three types of agreements for main extensions; On-Site, Off-Site and 3T . Depending on the situation, one, two or all three of the agreements may apply. All agreements expire in ten years.

• On-Site ( sample ) based on historical average cost, applies where a lot is assigned to each residence or building on plat
  • Allows for fifty feet worth of refund for each lot fronting main extension
  • Generally applied to subdivision plans, individual or multiple lots
  • Costs not adjusted after main installed
• Off-Site ( sample ) based on historical average cost, applies to supply piping needed to bring water to platted subdivision plan in conjunction with On-Site agreement.
  • Allows for ten feet worth of refund for each platted lot supplied by off-site supply line.
• 3T ( sample ) based on actual cost, applies to commercial or residential customers that are not a platted subdivision
  • 3T is cost adjusted at completion of project
  • 3T allows for a refund of three times the annual revenue for each meter connected to the main installed
    The 3T agreement also applies to the portion of off-site supply piping from an off-site agreement where there are not enough lots to cover the supply piping by the ten-feet per lot allowance. 
  • The 3T in this case allows for a refund of three times the annual revenue for every meter served by a direct tap on that portion of the supply line.

Refunds for the agreements above are initiated by a meter being set, and the amount of the refund per lot is based on the agreement. Refunds are only issued to a bonafide customer, (not the builder), has been billed for service. Total refunds will not exceed the contract amount.