AWWA DSS58704

This paper is a case study on a situation facing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities where a water main needed repairs, but due to its location, a convenient time for a service interruption for those customers could not be determined. Historically, when a water main needs to be shutdown for repairs, a utility either just gives advance notice of the repair and service interruption or works with customers to pick a good time for the interruption. This had been the practice of this utility until June, 2002. In this situation, a repair needed to be made at a main line tap on a 24 inch water line that required 6 restaurants, 5 hotels, an ice skating rink, and several commercial establishments be left without water for at least 24 hours. Conversations with those customers were not very fruitful in determining a convenient time for the interruption within the timeframe that the repair needed to be made. Management asked that the Engineering department get involved and look for creative ways to eliminate or minimize the customers that would loose water service. Discussions among the engineering staff led to a solution that involved an emergency connection of two existing water lines and the installation of aboveground water service lines to all customers that provided them with both the domestic supply and necessary fire protection. The aboveground system was one that was being used by the utilities' water main rehabilitation contractor in neighborhoods while existing water mains were being cleaned and lined. In this case study no customers lost water supply during the repair, which took more than 48 hours to complete. Includes figure.