BERLIN – Municipal officials agreed to transfer funds to allow for the relocation of a water main in Berlin this week.
The Berlin Town Council on Monday approved a request to transfer funding that was allocated for a lead lines replacement project to allow for the relocation of a water main on Harrison Avenue.
Jamey Latchum, the town’s water resources director, said that the water main currently went right under the former Southern States building, which is undergoing renovations to become the Berlin Beer Company.
“Based on the current infrastructure of the Berlin Beer Company building, we estimate the building dates back to
1935,” Latchum wrote in a report to the council. “As the water main was installed prior to the construction of the building, this would indicate the water main is approximately 88 years old and is reaching the end of its useful life.”
Extensive renovations are currently underway at the building at 115 Broad St., which will serve as space for the Berlin Beer Company and the Street Kitchen once construction is complete. Latchum said that because renovation work was underway, he was seeking approval to address the water main now. He said currently, the water main, which was built before 1935, runs directly under the building.
“We’re right now still surveying Harrison Avenue to make sure we stay on our property,” Latchum said. “There’s four different surveys for the property of 115 Broad. We’ve had some legal stuff, to make sure we’re on our property in the right of way. I’m asking the money be moved from Willim Street so we can proceed to have this water main moved.”
An estimate sets the approximate cost of the water main relocation at $100,000. To play it safe, Latchum said he was asking the council to transfer $120,000 from what was allocated for the replacement of William Street lead lines and valves to the Harrison Avenue water main project.
“I have an estimate of about $100,000 but … you know how stuff fluctuates a little bit between now and then,” Latchum said.
The council voted unanimously to approve the reallocation of funds. The council on Monday also voted unanimously to approve the repair of a sewage pump at Decatur Farms that failed. That repair work is expected to cost slightly more than $11,000.
