Williamsport Municipal Water Authority

Congressman Fred Keller and Representative Jeff Wheeland met with WMWA officials at the Heller Dam to review the project site for the High Hazard Potential Dam grant application.

On May 31, the Williamsport Sanitary Authority was advised of a sinkhole located in the 300 block of Campbell Street. The cause of the sinkhole was determined to be the crown collapse of a 42-inch by 48-inch brick arch sewer originally constructed circa 1880. The collapse of the sewer undermined the ground and road above the fault. Initial investigation determined the depth to the sewer main to be approximately 15-feet deep. Due to the extreme depth of the sewer main along... Campbell Street, the WSA contracted Gutelius Excavating, WSA’s emergency contractor, to perform the work. As the brick sewer main was uncovered, additional collapses in the structure continued to occur. Due to the repeated structural failures, the WSA determined the best course of action was replacement of the sewer main from Grace Street to 3rd Street. Approximately 260-feet of brick sewer main was replaced with 48-inch diameter HDPE triple-wall ADS pipe. The remaining 115-feet was grouted, reinforced with wire mesh and sprayed with concrete through an emergency contract with National Gunite. This work essentially converted the brick arch into a reinforced concrete arch. During construction, two catch basins were discovered within the main line, both were constructed of brick and in disrepair. In order to prevent future damage, the catch basins and manholes at Grace Street and 3rd Street were also reinforced with concrete. Once the work on the sewer main was completed, Gutelius Excavating repaved and repainted the entire road. The final cost for this emergency repair was approximately $495,000. Thank you to everyone impacted by this project for your patience as the WSA worked to repair the root cause of this sinkhole and prevent future collapses from occurring on Campbell Street.

The South Williamsport project was identified by the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority (WMWA) as a capital improvement project as a result of a hydraulic study of the water distribution system performed by HRG Engineering. The hydraulic analysis concluded that portions of the South Williamsport and Duboistown distribution system are amoung the areas most in need of upgrades. This project created a new "Mountain Pressure Zone" to improve the water system pressure and pro...vide increased fire flows to these areas. The new pressure zone provides adequate levels of fire protection, reduces the likelihood of main breaks, and provides increased water pressure to existing customers. In addition, water is now available to residents not currently connected to the system. This project provides for future development in portions of South Williamport, Duboistown, and Armstrong Township. Additionally, cooperation with South Williamsport to repave the roads resulted in improved road conditions for residents and a reduction in cost for the WMWA’s project. This project replaced mains that were between 40 to 100 years old and were approaching the end of their useful life. By replacing these mains the WMWA demonstrated a proactive approach to limit the potential for leaks or catastrophic failure of these mains. The project was constructed under three prime contracts beginning in late 2015. All work is now complete and closeout of the construction contracts will be complete by the end of July. The final cost for the project was approximately 8.2 million dollars. See more

The WMWA will begin flushing hydrants in the gravity system of Williamsport and Old Lycoming tonight. Attached you will find a map depicting the areas to be flushed