David Hubert of Insituform was part of the crew relining sewer pipes Wednesday on Labbe Avenue in Lewiston. The pipes are lined with a resin and then heat-cured, eliminating the need to replace them. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
LEWISTON — Over seven miles of sewer pipe on 70 roads throughout the city are being relined, a minimally invasive project that will be finished by May.
Crews began working on Labbe Avenue on Wednesday, city spokeswoman Angelynne Amores said.
The Lewiston Public Works Water and Sewer Division hired Insituform for the work. The company uses a resin to reline the pipes, which are accessed by manhole openings.
Sewer services may be briefly affected due to wastewater being blocked by the new lining. Insituform will reinstate services as workers move along, according to the city.
Homeowners can prevent backups by reducing water and sewer use while work is being completed on their street; contractors will alert homeowners to stop generating wastewater and when they may resume, the release said.
The resin used to line the pipes generates a “glue-like” odor that can emanate from rarely used drains like second bathrooms’ sinks and showers, floor drains and utility sinks. Public Works Deputy Director Kevin Gagne suggested homeowners add water to drain traps for those rarely used fixtures and to make sure sewer clean-outs are capped.
“A municipal sewer pipe is something people barely notice,” Gagne said. “We’d like to keep it that way and this project will help us accomplish that by rehabilitating older pipes. Plus, this project allows us to continue to provide to homeowners virtually uninterrupted sewer service.”
Pipes will be relined on the following streets: Androscoggin Avenue, Ashmount Street, Baird Avenue, Barrows Street, Belleview Avenue, Brooks Avenue, Cassell Street, Central Avenue, Claire Street, College Street, Cote Street, Dow Avenue, Drew Street, East Avenue, Edward Avenue, Eustis Street, Fair Street, Fairmount Avenue, Franklin Street, Gagne Street, Googin Street, Goulet Street, Halstead Terrace, Highland Avenue, Hillmount Drive, Howe Street, Labbe Avenue, Lexington Street, Lincoln Drive, Little Street, Locust Street, Main Street, Marble Street, Mark Street, Martha Avenue, Martin Drive, Merton Boulevard, Montello Street, Moody Street, Morningside Street, Morris Avenue, Nichols Street, Orange Street, Orestis Way, Paul Street, Prospect Avenue, Richmond Avenue, Robert Avenue, Robinson Gardens, Roland Avenue, Roy Street, Saratoga Street, Scribner Circle, Shank Street, Shawmut Street, South Avenue, Stetson Road, Suzanne Street, Swale Lane, Thompson Street, Walker Avenue, Webber Avenue, Wellman Street, Westminster Street, Weybosset Street and Wood Street.
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