GPIWA discusses moving water lines due to Pine Island Road widening project
The Greater Pine Island Water Association discussed the Pine Island Road widening project during its Dec. 11 meeting at the United Methodist Church.
General Manager Bill Thacher said the Pine Island Road widening project will go to bid at the end of April, therefore the GPIWA has to get its money together so it can bid with the project’s contractor sometime in early to mid-March. Right now, he said the total price to move their water lines from Burnt Store Road to 26th Avenue/Nott Road is $971,264, which will come out of the emergency fund.
The water line, Thacher said, has to be moved 100-150 feet to the south, so workers can put the second lane in on Pine Island Road.
“The lanes that you are using now, they will now become eastbound lanes,” he said, adding that two new lanes will be added on the south side. “Those two new lanes are going to sit on existing water lines.”
Thacher said the waterline that services east of Burnt Store Road go all the way down to Nott Road. He said they have 11 connections in Saddlewood that they are asking the city of Cape Coral to service.
If the city takes over those connections, it will save about a half a million dollars, Thacher said.
“It is a cost-saving measure if we can get the city to serve those 11 connections,” he said. “We are working through how we are going to do that.”
Other agenda items:
Thacher said the injection well permit has been approved, which extends the well for another five years. He said the percolation pond permit is identical to the way it has been since 1984, with the exception of the shallow monitor well. The shallow monitor well will be located just west of the percolation pond, so fluoride counts can be monitored.
In addition, the Island Avenue neighborhood lines have been upgraded. Thacher said the hydrants have been put in and the lines were upgraded below the contract price.
“That has to do with the way the employees work in the field,” he said of the $75,159 cost of the project. “We saved money, we did good.”
After Hurricane Wilma, Thacher said the GPIWA has identified, renovated and painted water lines. Over the last six months they have identified, renovated and painted the water lines that go over and alongside the St. James City Bridge and Bokeelia Bridge. The Matlacha Bridge has received attention as well.