By LIZ F. KAY|August 05, 2008
THE PROBLEM Temporary above-ground pipes bringing water to Federal Hill homes during a water-main rehabilitation project are damaged by parking cars, leaving residents without water.
THE BACKSTORY Sarah De Santis considers herself a typical Baltimore city resident, the kind that enjoys showering, making dinner, doing laundry, watering her plants and washing her hands.
It has been harder to enjoy those simple pleasures in recent months as a water main rehabilitation project commenced in her Federal Hill neighborhood.
De Santis and her neighbors were informed in a March letter from the city that water would be shut off when a temporary line was attached as well as intermittently when work was being done.
What she didn't expect, however, were outages when the temporary lines, which run above ground parallel to the curb, were damaged by parking cars and other hazards.
Last week, water was restored to her home after a Tuesday break but the water pressure was low for two days as a geyser of water sprayed into the air in an alley, De Santis said.
"Ideally they would structure the above-ground pipes so they would not be subject to being run over by car tires," she said.
When water is out, De Santis calls 311 to page the contractor, as well as calls the contractor's answering service directly. Usually it takes more than an hour to restore water, she said.
Public Works spokesman Kurt Kocher said the department would investigate to see if it's possible to provide additional warning about potential outages due to scheduled repairs, but he was not confident that much can be done about accidents.
The work is part of an extensive project that includes cleaning and replacement of lines in an area bounded by Hanover Street, Key Highway, Randall Street and Fort Avenue.
The contractor has been tackling different neighborhoods within that area over eight- to 12-week intervals, Kocher said. Unfortunately, Federal Hill is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, with narrow streets and old infrastructure, he said, and the contractor has had to replace more lines than anticipated. Also, it's a busy community with lots of vehicle traffic, and drivers are hitting the pipes despite the cones marking construction and the service lines that are painted orange.
"We don't want to take anybody out of water unnecessarily," Kocher said. "Our contractor is doing [its] best to ensure minimal interruption."
