Town Council retains Cowgirl Up to cut and cap old water lines

Bath Town Council has entered into an agreement with contractor Cowgirl Up to cut and cap the old water lines. Water Works employees have identified 15 faulty valves that can't be closed to shut off water flow to the old water line system.

Water must be shut off to the old lines so they no longer have to be maintained. The council hopes that once the work is completed, the moratorium on new water taps can be lifted.

According to David Diehl of Cowgirl Up, the work will be sub-contracted to C & S Wet Tapping of Winchester. The cost of the project is $131,000. The town has $102,000 remaining in the water project contingency fund.

David Crosby noted that the $131,000 is a worst case scenario. All the valves need to be dug up in order to cut and cap the pipes at each valve. If some valves are able to be closed or repaired, the cost will be reduced.

The town's old water line system consists of six, four and two inch lines. The cost quoted to cut and cap each six inch line is $9,093, a four inch line is $8,620 and a two inch line $2,960.

Council and Water Works had been exploring options to get the lines capped. Chief Water Operator Terry Largent and Water Operator Jim Close recently borrowed Hydra-Stop equipment from Shepherdstown in order to do the work themselves.

But that equipment needed to be upgraded and Water Works would only be able to do the work as time permitted. The town also would have had to put the job out for bids for a digging contractor.

Once a local contractor was found that could be sub-contracted by Cowgirl Up, it allowed the work to proceed under the original project using the contingency funds.

The priority will be to cut and cap lines that run along U.S. 522. That work should start next week.

Cowgirl Up reports that the last six customers on Williams Street will be connected to the new water line system this week.