File photo
File photo
The City of Rockford is vying for a $5 million state grant to replace a 2-mile stretch of water main along Auburn Street that has been described as a “high risk.”
“We categorize water mains as high risk based on their age, because we know old pipes have a higher likelihood to fail and that have a main-break history,” Public Works Director Kyle Saunders told the Rockford Register Sun. “These are 100-plus years old and have a main break history.”
Replacing water mains and as many as 165 suspected lead service lines along North Main Street and Central Avenue is being billed as a way of improving water quality, reliability and firefighting capacity.
If awarded the grant, the city is expected to kick in a $2.6 million match that would be generated from water bill proceeds.
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