Community Meeting: Littleworth Road Water and Sewer Improvements

Councilor Robison and I attended the September 29, 2026, community meeting regarding the water and sewer improvements planned for Littleworth Road and Old Littleworth Road.

Project Overview

• City staff announced a project to replace 90-year-old, 8-inch cast-iron water mains with new 12-inch ductile iron mains on Route 9 (Littleworth Road) and Old Littleworth Road.
• This upgrade will connect to the French Cross well, which will increase water capacity and improve reliability for the city.
• City sewer availability will be extended on Old Littleworth Road, running from Chandler Way up toward the Route 9 intersection.
• Safety improvements will include widening the eastbound shoulder at the Route 9 and Columbus Avenue intersection to create a safer bypass lane, alongside the installation of new granite curbing.

Schedule and Construction Phases

Old Littleworth Road

The contractor stated that mobilization will begin in mid-October. The goal is to install the gravity sewer, water lines, and services before the winter season. The road will receive a temporary pavement patch over the trenches for the winter. In the spring (around May), the road will be completely pulverized, regraded, and receive a full-width layer of fresh pavement.

Route 9

Construction will begin in the spring and finish in the summer. The contractor noted that work will take place primarily on the road shoulders. To minimize paving impacts and traffic disruption, horizontal directional drilling will be used to run water services under Route 9.

Impacts on Residents

Traffic and Work Hours

Construction will typically run Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Old Littleworth Road will be restricted to local resident traffic only. Route 9 will experience alternate single-lane traffic controlled by flaggers, and potentially police details if warranted.

Water Service

The existing water main will remain active during the construction process. City staff confirmed residents will experience a brief interruption (less than a day) when their individual service is swapped to the new main. Residents will receive at least 48 hours of advance notice before this shutoff occurs.

Driveway Access

Residents on the south side of Old Littleworth Road will temporarily have their driveways crossed by the construction trench. A Contractor stated this disruption will take less than a day, and crews will coordinate with residents directly to ensure parking access.

Mandatory Sewer Connections

City staff explained that properties currently on septic systems that fall within 100 feet of the new sewer infrastructure will be required by City code to tie into the City sewer. This process includes a $3,300 connection fee in addition to private installation costs. Residents can petition the Utilities Commission for a waiver to delay this requirement. A City Councilor noted that they have seen these waivers granted by the Commission in the past.

Neighborhood Services

Trash pickup, mail delivery, and dust control (utilizing water and calcium) will be maintained throughout the project. Equipment will be stored neatly and compactly on the edge of the road or within the work area.

Resident Q&A and Concerns

• A resident asked about the mandatory sewer connection fee and whether it could be waived since the street work was already happening. City staff directed them to pursue the Utilities Commission waiver process, as the fee is standard.
• Several residents expressed concern about road conditions during repaving, citing previous difficult projects in the city where manholes were left exposed for weeks. The contractor informed them that this project will use a different road reclamation process that involves pulverizing the whole road, meaning final grading and paving will be completed more quickle.
• A resident inquired about what happens to the old water pipe. City staff confirmed the existing pipe will simply be abandoned in place once the new lines are active.