South Philly water main and sewer replacement work

Last month we reported that the Water Department is seeking a rate increase to fund expedited repairs to the City’s aging water mains and sewers. On May 25th, in a piece aptly titled “Residents wait wearily as Water Dept. takes months to replace sewers and mains,” Plan Philly’s Jim Saska told the story of two South Philly blocks (of many) which are currently enduring long-lasting replacement projects:

Replacing water mains and sewers is labor-intensive, slow work that needs to stop in inclement weather. Still, work on any given block could be finished more quickly — weeks often pass between the water main’s replacement and the sewer’s replacement, and more weeks again before paving begins.

Saska interviewed residents of the 2300 block of South Mole Street and 1500 block of South Carlisle Street. On Carlisle Street, he writes:

[PWD Work] started in February,” said Jen Devor, block captain of the 1500 block of South Carlisle Street. “It was absolutely, totally finished two weeks ago.” “February of 2017,” she clarified — the work took 15 months to complete. Devor’s road was a muddy pit for only about a third of that period, but seasons changed before the final touches were put in place.

The Philadelphia Water Department has an interactive map of active and upcoming projects. You can find the map here. Click on the green and red areas to see details about each project.