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West Virginia American Water Begins Main Replacement Project Along Washington Street

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Oct. 12, 2021) – West Virginia American Water announced today that it will begin construction on an estimated $1.5 million-dollar infrastructure upgrade project along Washington Street in Charleston. The project will replace approximately 1,800 feet of 12” cast iron water main from Morris to Shrewsbury streets. Planned in three phases beginning the week of Oct. 18, the entire project is estimated to be completed in approximately ten weeks, weather permitting.

“Following two recent water main breaks along Washington Street, our team worked quickly to investigate and evaluate the feasibility of a main replacement project in this area,” said Robert Burton, West Virginia American Water president. “Through our Distribution System Improvement Charge (DSIC) program, we have the ability to prioritize and address these types of unexpected water main replacement projects when the need arises.”

The first phase of the project will begin between Morris and Brooks streets. This block of Washington Street will be closed to traffic for approximately two weeks, but intersections will remain open with traffic limited to one lane. Following completion of the Morris to Brooks streets block, construction will begin in the Brooks Street to Leon Sullivan Way block and conclude with the Leon Sullivan Way to Shrewsbury Street block. The closure of each block is anticipated to last for a two-week period while construction crews work both day and night to replace the main and repave the area. Motorists are urged to avoid these areas and seek an alternate route to avoid delays.

“Our engineering and construction teams are committed to working quickly and safely in order to complete this project in a timely manner,” continued Burton. “While we know traffic impacts can cause frustration, we thank our customers for their understanding as we work to improve service reliability in this area of our water system.”

West Virginia American Water has worked collaboratively with Charleston Area Medical Center’s General Hospital and the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences to minimize impacts to daily operations and coordinate traffic patterns for emergency vehicles and event patrons. Additionally, the company is communicating closely with the Department of Highways, City of Charleston, Kanawha County and other businesses along the construction route to provide regular updates on project progress and traffic pattern adjustments.

“West Virginia American Water has been in constant communication regarding the project to replace water lines along Washington Street after pipes burst outside the emergency room at CAMC General,” said Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “This section of road is critical, as it is located outside of the ambulance bay, and it is important that this work is done quickly and efficiently.”

For continued updates on traffic impacts and construction progress, please visit the ‘Extended Alerts’ section of the company website.

West Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 545,000 people. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Connect with us: Facebook.com/wvamwaterTwitter.com/wvamwater  YouTube.com/wvamwater ● Instagram: @wvamawater

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West Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 545,000 people. For more information, visit www.westvirginiaamwater.com and follow West Virginia American Water on Twitter and Facebook.