Group Jobs usually average about 12 months from the start of construction to completion. Work on each individual block typically takes the contractor about two to three weeks to replace the water main or sewer main. Sewer rehabilitation projects are typically completed in a shorter time period.
On Group Jobs, the sewer mains are generally replaced first throughout the entire project because they are farther underground and require a deeper trench than water main replacement. The new sewer main is installed in the street, and then the new laterals are connected to the existing sewer pipe that comes out of the home or business. This new lateral also includes a clean-out connection that is installed in the City's right-of-way at the property line, which is typically 10 to 25 feet behind the face of the curb.
Once the new sewer main, laterals and clean-outs have been installed and connected, the trenches are filled, compacted, and a temporary paving is installed on top. Approximately four to six weeks later, the sewer mains are further evaluated by a video camera to make sure there is no sagging and/or settling or debris inside. Once the sewer main passes the tests, a permanent concrete cap is poured to cover the trench.
The water main is replaced weeks or even months after the sewer main has been replaced. Once the high-lines are connected to water meters, a loop of water mains in the neighborhood is isolated and plugged. A new trench is dug so the old mains can be removed and replaced. As each section of water main is replaced, the trench is covered, compacted, and capped with temporary paving. Once the entire loop of water mains has been replaced, the mains are pressure-tested and sanitized before the individual water services are re-connected to the water meters. A new, larger water meter box will be installed. The temporary caps on the trenches are then removed and the permanent street repairs are performed.