-
About Homer
-
- Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Program City Campgrounds Community Recreation Hickerson Memorial Cemetery
- Library Parks & Trails Public Safety Fire Police Emergency Information
- Events & Activities City Calendar Library Calendar Recreation Calendar Doing Business in Homer Sister City Program Coast Guard City
-
- Departments
- Government
- How Do I?
Construction To Begin on Raw Water Transmission Main Project
After years of working with FEMA and completing design and permitting, the City of Homer is pleased to announce that construction is slated to begin April 1 on the Raw Water Transmission Main Replacement project!
Project Overview
Funded by a $2.2 million Hazard Mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the project designed, permitted and replaces approximately 4,000 feet of 50-year-old cast iron transmission main that carries water from the pump house at Bridge Creek Reservoir to the water treatment plant.
The aging 8-inch cast iron is brittle, subject to corrosion, and is vulnerable to breaking during earthquakes. It will be replaced with 12-inch High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe—a flexible, extremely durable material that resists corrosion, is seismically resilient. The larger-diameter pipe can also supply the water treatment plant's maximum daily flow capacity of 2 million gallons per day when needed. HDPE has been recognized as a reliable choice for water infrastructure in Alaska for the past 15 years -- and helps protect our drinking water supply from disruption due to seismic damage.
The project also includes installing a buried fiber optic line to upgrade the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communications system that provides real-time monitoring, remote control and coordination of the pump house and water treatment plant's operations. Fiber provides more reliable remote monitoring, enhanced security, faster data transmission, reduced maintenance requirements and better protection from weather damage.
Construction Details
South Central Construction will install the new HDPE pipe and fiber optic line using an open-trench method parallel to the existing main. The old main will remain in service until the new main is operational. Customers should not experience water service disruptions during construction. The City will provide timely updates should any any disruptions to service occur.
Construction is expected to begin April 1, 2026, with completion anticipated in October 2026.
Photo above: path of transmission main looking north toward the Bridge Crrek Reservoir from near the Water Treatment Plant. Photo at right shows entire path superimposed on a topographic map, with the Water Treatment Plant on Skyline Drive at the bottom of the image.
About the Funding
This project is made possible through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which helps communities reduce long-term risks to public infrastructure from natural disasters. These funds became available after a federal disaster was declared for Alaska's November 30, 2018 earthquake, and is administered by the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
By making our water supply infrastructure more seismically resilient, this project fulfills the core objective of hazard mitigation: reducing potential disaster losses and protecting lives, property, and essential community services.
