The Village of New Concord will be beginning a project in early April in conjunction with Columbia Gas to replace old pipes in the village from Layton Drive and continuing east, and then from High Street and continuing south.
Village Administrator, Charlotte Colley, said that the new pipes are an improvement to the village.
“Not only are people getting new lines but the pressure is going up [inside the pipes] which is a good thing,” said Colley.
This replacement and improvement project will come at no cost to village or its residents.
“This is actually a really good deal because a lot of the time residents are responsible for everything from the main line into their home, but because this is such a huge effort to do it all at once Columbia Gas is footing the bill,” said Colley.
Columbia Gas will cover the costs for the project and clean up any possible damages that property will incur during the process.
Though digging is necessary because the pipes are underground Colley said that they are required to repair any tripping hazards. Their services to repair any damage that they leave behind includes temporary patching, permanent paving, and lawn restoration.
Along with placing new pipes, Columbia Gas will move indoor gas meters outside in order to make checking the meters easier on both the residents and the company employees.
“It makes it easier for reading, it makes it easier for maintenance and repair, and [Columbia Gas] doesn’t have to schedule appointments with folks later [in the day] because they are outside,” said Colley.
Parts of the village have undergone the same changes in the past and though Colley wasn’t the Village Administrator at the time she heard good things from the village about the updates.
“I have heard no negative reports,” said Colley.
Colley said that the entire project is expected to last about five months.
Due to the timeframe, Columbia Gas will be working with the village’s paving schedule and working around any events that New Concord will hold during the summer.
There is a community meeting on March 29 at 6 p.m. in the Village Hall basement. Colley said that Columbia Gas employees will be there to answer any questions and address any concerns that village residents may have about the undertaking.
There is an information packet about the improvement project, including a street map, on the Village of New Concord’s website.
