Construction Update for Frierson Avenue

Work on East Frierson Avenue consists of installing stormwater pipe and new potable watermain the entire length of the street between North Florida and North Central avenues and installing stormwater inlets along both sides of the street. It seems simple, but the existing watermain runs along the north side of the street and impedes the locations for the new storm inlets, which affects the order that the new infrastructure is installed. The following outlines the process and timeline for work on Frierson.

The 72-inch concrete stormwater pipe is currently being installed and should be completed by Christmas. New, 8-inch watermain installation comes next and has already begun at both the east and the west end of the street, working toward the middle; this should be completed by the first of the new year.

Once all 72-inch storm pipe is  installed, crews will install stormwater curb inlets on the south side of Frierson, which should be completed by the first of the year. Storm inlets on the north side of the street cannot be installed until the new watermain is completely installed and tied over, as the existing watermain is in the way of the new storm pipe and inlets, which means connecting homes to new water services comes next.

However, many steps are involved before homes can be connected to the new watermain, all of which take time. The watermain must be pressure-tested and chlorinated, which usually takes about a week. Then, water samples must pass two consecutive days of bacteriological tests to ensure the line is safe; this process of testing and results takes about a week.

Results of the pressure test and bacteriological tests are then sent to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) for approval to put the water line into service. FDOH approval takes, on average, two to four weeks, but it can take longer if the FDOH requests more information. After FDOH approval, crews will begin connecting homes to new water services, which takes about a week to complete.

When all homes are connected, crews will install the stormwater inlets on the north side of the street. After all stormwater work is complete, crews will begin building back the road, which is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-February.