The Town held its monthly project update with contract engineers and utility contractors for the waterline project on Wednesday, March 25. The Town has been providing the information it has been given by contractors, engineers, and NCDOT. This is a complex project in which field conditions can result in delays and alterations in work and schedules. Thank you for your continued patience during this once-in-a-lifetime project installing 4 miles of waterline for the backbone of the Town’s water distribution system to improve water quality and fire flow, as recommended in the 2007 Water and Sewer Master Plan. If you have questions, please contact Town Hall at 704-436-9800.
Installation Process
Several people have asked why it looks like crews are constantly digging up the same areas. The general order of operations to install new waterline is as follows:
1. Cut pavement
2. Dig Trench
3. Install Line
4. Temporarily fill trench with soil
5. Once new waterline reaches specified points, pressure test and disinfect
6. Dig out trench to specified depth and fill with NCDOT approved materials depending on location of trench (appropriate combination of ABC stone and/or flowable fill per NCDOT approved pavement schedule). Engineering contractors and NCDOT conduct inspections during this process to ensure appropriate compaction. If compaction is not approved, then the fill has to be altered/remediated.
7. Pavement is restored along trenched area. Final paving will occur later when all work is complete.
8. Tie-ins are completed for each customer along the main line and each side street. This typically requires some digging around each customer’s meter box to make the connections. A 15-30 service disruption is expected. Side street tie-ins result in service disruptions of 3-5 hours for customers within the area of the tie-in. After each tie-in, crews flush hydrants to remove air and debris from the line. However, there may still be air, cloudiness, and discoloration for a day or two after tie-ins are completed. It is recommended to run an outside faucet for approximately 10 minutes to clear the line. If these issues persist, contact Town Hall at 704-436-9800.
Main St., Hwy. 49, and W. Franklin Street
All waterline installation, pressure testing, certification, and service and side street tie-ins are complete and the lines are active. Final restoration of impacted sidewalk, curb & gutter, and yard disturbance is underway and will be completed by mid-April.
E. Franklin Street (Hwy. 73)
On E. Franklin Street between Main Street to Blueberry Street, main waterline installation has been completed. Flowable fill/ABC stone and asphalt patch for the main line are complete. Service tie-ins have been completed. Periodic service disruptions are expected March 25 to April 3 as side street tie-in is completed. Final restoration of impacted sidewalk, curb, and pavement will be completed by mid-April.
Park Drive
A 2-inch water service line will be installed on Park Drive to improve water service to McAllister Park and the Community Center building. This will take place April 1-10. All parking at the municipal complex will be paved following completion of this line.
Hwy. 49 and Jackson Street (North of Hwy. 49)
This new section of 12-inch waterline was added to the overall project in early 2026 due to the age of the existing line and the reliance on the entire system on this line. The line will run from the Water Treatment Plan along Hwy. 49, north on Jackson Street, up to North Drive. Engineering approval is being finalized, and work is expected to begin in late April. Since this was added to the project, this timeline will be a bit longer than the initial contracted date of May 6, 2026.
Overall Project Schedule and Completion
All main waterline installation was complete by the end of January 2026. Final tie-ins, line operation, restoration of impacted curb & gutter, sidewalk, disturbed ground cover will continue through mid-April. The original contract timeline allowed for 450 days from project start date (February 10, 2025) for substantial completion, which is May 6, 2026. While the contractor had hoped for an accelerated timeline to have substantial completion by the end of 2025, it now appears that the project will have substantial completion in March 2026 with only punch list items remaining. This is still ahead of the contractual date of May 6, 2026.
NCDOT has scheduled final resurfacing of Main Street and Franklin Street (Hwy. 73) for the spring. Town staff met with NCDOT to discuss the logistics and details of the planned resurfacing. NCDOT has marked several areas that need to be repaired prior to paving. Contractors will begin working on these repairs the first week of April.
