The old pipe stays. The water takes another route.

MUD engineer outlined a new Highway 55 waterline plan: leave pipe buried, reconnect customers with existing mains

7:45 a.m. Oct. 14, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Majors Boulevard’s old galvanized waterline may stay in the ground, but it won’t stay in service.

That is the direction the Metro Moore Utility Department is taking after engineer Bryant Griffin spent more time studying the stretch of Highway 55 where aging waterlines run alongside sidewalks, beneath the highway, and between buildings.

Griffin told the MUD board Tuesday, Oct. 13, that replacing the existing two-inch galvanized line along its current route would be difficult, expensive, and, in some places, nearly impossible without acquiring additional property.

“There’s not room,” Griffin said.

Instead, he has worked out a plan to abandon the old line in place and reconnect customers to existing water mains through smaller service lines. Some of those connections would be bored beneath Highway 55, avoiding the need to dig up long stretches of sidewalk. Others will require easements across private property.

The change is part of a larger waterline improvement project that includes Chapman Acres. The board approved moving forward with the work in September, based on a preliminary estimate of $583,330.

Too many obstacles, not enough room

Griffin said the Chapman Acres drawings have been ready for some time. The Highway 55 portion took longer, particularly where the galvanized line runs between buildings and through areas crowded with other utilities.

After spending several hours examining the site, Griffin said he believes the engineering team has worked out a practical solution. He planned to submit the revised design Tuesday.

The existing waterline runs close to the sidewalk, where the state right-of-way ends. Gas lines occupy space beneath the sidewalk, while fiber-optic lines and other underground utilities further complicate the work.

Replacing the galvanized main along its current path would mean working around those obstacles, obtaining additional easements, or possibly purchasing property.

Another option would be to remove the old pipe and replace it in the same trench. Griffin said that could require temporary water service for several weeks while crews completed the work.

He sees little reason to go that route when existing water mains can supply the same customers. “There's no hydraulic benefit to this,” Griffin said. His recommendation is to leave the galvanized pipe buried, disconnect it from the active system, and bring water to the affected properties from other directions.

Boring beneath Highway 55

Under the revised design, several homes currently served by the old two-inch line would receive water through smaller service lines bored beneath Majors Boulevard.

Griffin explained that a one-inch service line can supply two homes, allowing MUD to reconnect some customers without installing another main along the highway. Other properties could be served through individual three-quarter-inch connections.

The plan also uses an existing six-inch water main near property owned by Jack Daniel’s. Griffin described a connection from that line, including a short two-inch extension with a blow-off assembly, that would serve several nearby properties.

Getting water to customers around the buildings near the post office will be trickier. Griffin said six existing services in that area could be reached with three one-inch lines. MUD will need service-line easements across private property to make those connections.

Some meters are tucked behind buildings, and Griffin said crews would have to bore beneath concrete steps to reach them.

Board members studied Griffin’s drawings and questioned whether existing lines behind the post office or nearby alleys might offer an easier approach. Griffin explained that those routes present their own obstacles, including limited access and additional underground utilities.

Crews will still have some digging to do. Griffin anticipates removing and repairing several small sections of sidewalk to accommodate boring equipment and connections. That is considerably less disruptive than opening a continuous trench along the highway.

He also explained that much of the expense comes from the equipment and labor needed to bore beneath the roadway, rather than the cost of the smaller service pipe itself.

Water loss remains a concern

The Highway 55 work comes as MUD continues looking for ways to reduce water loss across its distribution system. Later in Tuesday's meeting, board members returned to the subject, discussing leaks that have been repaired and how much water the department is still losing.

Utility Manager Ronnie Cunningham described the noise near the doctor's office along the Highway 55 corridor as “real loud,” adding to concerns about suspected leaks in that area.

Board members discussed whether repairing leaks along the aging lines could put a meaningful dent in MUD's water loss. They acknowledged that even substantial improvements would leave more work to do.

Retiring the old galvanized line would take one troublesome stretch of infrastructure out of service. Griffin's revised design would do that without digging up the entire corridor.

What happens to the cost?

The change prompted questions about whether the project would exceed the estimate approved in September. That original estimate included $480,475 for Chapman Acres and additional work along Highway 55, bringing the combined project to $583,330 with engineering and a construction contingency.

Griffin said he does not expect the revised approach to cost more. Although additional boring will be necessary, the plan eliminates some of the larger replacement pipe and excavation that would otherwise be required.

He did not present a revised dollar estimate Tuesday.

The board also voted 4-0 on the second reading of borrowing authority for up to $1 million through the Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund. That is a borrowing limit, not the estimated construction cost.

Griffin explained that the proposed loan runs for 20 years but must be refinanced every five years. Because of that added risk, Moore County must amend its debt policy, a step expected to come before the Metro Council on Monday, Oct. 19.

After spending months studying the crowded corridor, Griffin told the board the revised approach was the best solution his team could find. The next steps are to get the plans approved and secure the easements needed to reconnect customers.