More than 4,000 linear feet of new gravity-flow water line recently was installed along Bear Creek Road in House Springs, improving water service to nearby residents.
The water line was laid Aug. 15-21, leading to temporary road closures and detours along Bear Creek Road. Kevin Ritz, manager of Public Water Supply District 6, said the inconvenience was worth it in the long run.
“Currently the subdivision Bear Creek Estates (off Bear Creek Road), and the new one that McBride just put in (the Commons at Bear Ridge), at both entrances there’s a water main but it dead ends right there,” he said. “What we’re doing is putting in that line and tying the subdivision in; it’s called creating a loop.
“When a line sits at a dead end, the only time it has to flow is when someone turns on a shower or their irrigation system. Now with the loop, it’s going to continue to flow, so it improves water quality. It also improves flows for the fire department. When they get on a hydrant, they’re going to be able to have more water capacity.”
Ritz said the cost to install the 4,079 linear feet of new water lines was $325,000, and the water district will cover the cost with general funds.
The district serves roughly 6,000 residents in House Springs, High Ridge, Byrnes Mill and Eureka, Ritz said.
He said the gravity-flow water line is nine inches in diameter and will continue to provide water regardless of power outages or generator failure in the area.
McBride Homes is currently constructing the Commons at Bear Ridge across Bear Creek Road from the Bear Creek Estates subdivision. The new subdivision will have 263 single-family and cottage homes. According to its website, completed houses are on the market for $220,000-$250,000.
“(The new line) will reduce service interruptions during water main breaks, and ensure we can provide safe, clean drinking water and to all consumers,” Ritz said.
Detours, delays
Lonnie Hall, a homeowner who lives off Bear Creek Road, said residents were not adequately notified about the road closures stemming from the water line installation.
Ritz said the road was closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 15, Aug. 16, Aug. 18 and Aug. 21.
Hall said the 11 residents who live along his road were not given individual notice.
A message board was put up along the road on Aug. 10, but it faced the evening sun and was hard to read, he said.
Hall said his wife was expecting medicine to arrive in the mail, and he had to scramble to pick it up before the road closure went into effect.
“We can manage a detour, but the medical equipment was critical,” he said.
Ritz said the new water line is an improvement for the area.
“I understand the road closure may have been an inconvenience to some of our customers but hope they understand what this project will accomplish for our community,” he said.
Hall said he also was worried that emergency vehicles could have had a difficult time accessing the area during the road closure, adding that the road that leads to his home, off Bear Creek Road, has a tight turn that could impede large emergency vehicles.
“Before they started (the roadwork), we went down there to check the road closures and we didn’t have any concerns with getting equipment through,” High Ridge Fire Chief John Barton said. “We had a map of where it was going to be closed, and we made adjustments as needed. I’m not aware of any blockage that would have prevented us from getting to a call.
“We were notified a few days before it started. It was enough time to make the adjustments but we would always prefer earlier notification as opposed to later.”
Ritz said the water district followed the typical procedures for such a project.
“Everything we did was approved by Jefferson County and approved by the emergency agencies around here,” Ritz said. “Nothing that we did was out of the normal for roadwork. Further construction should not cause a significant delay to anyone’s commute.”