Project Will Upgrade Love Road Wastewater Line

Click on map to download larger PDF version

By early 2012, residents of the Love Road neighborhood will benefit from 800 feet of upgraded sewer line, 15 rebuilt manholes and two brand new manholes. However, the road from here to there will be bumpy.

"It's not going to be easy," said Pete Chavol, manager of El Paso Water Utilities' Construction Engineering Division. "But we are going to do our best to keep you happy."

Chavol was speaking at a meeting of the Love Road Neighborhood Association. About a dozen members of the association gathered in the living room of a member to express concerns about construction noise, length of the project, and traffic control on Love Road.

The neighborhood road which connects Country Club Road and Doniphan Drive has become a popular cut-through for motorists; St. Mark's School also brings hundreds of motorists onto the street twice daily.

Project to Be Completed in Phases
Chavol explained to neighbors that the utility and its contractors will work to keep the unavoidable inconveniences to a minimum by completing work in phases. "Contractors cannot work on any more than two manholes at once," he said.

Contractors will also be required to complete a comprehensive traffic plan for the project, which must be submitted to and approved by the city.

The project is required because the sewer line running along Love Road was installed in the 1950s, is made of antiquated clay pipe, and is sagging in some areas. Replacement in those areas will require trenches to be dug. Any disruption to driveways must be minimal, Chavol said, and once the project is completed all driveways will be repaired. Contractors must also ensure homeowners have access to their property at all times.

Any work done in the neighborhood will require dewatering pumps. The area has a high groundwater table, so those pumps will hum 24-hours a day, Chavol warned. Extracted water will be too salty to discharge into a nearby pond and, therefore, will be pumped into a nearby sewer transmission line and treated at the Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The Public Service Board selected Danny Sander Construction for the project. Construction will begin in November and is expected to be completed by March 2012.