The Fairhope City Council will consider several measures on Thursday as part of ongoing water upgrades to the City’s system.
Residents have seen the impact of unprecedented growth and a lack of maintenance on the water system for years. Last year, the situation was so dire that the City had to restrict water usage. At one point, Mayor Sherry Sullivan said one person became so angry that they chased a water truck down the street.
The City amended the water conservation ordinance to ensure better implementation in the future. It also had to examine millions of dollars of needed changes.
The council approved a $78 million water system upgrade plan over the next five years.
Fairhope Water 5-year plan by Erica Thomas on Scribd
“These projects will help to distribute water throughout our system and provide redundancy,” Sullivan told 1819 News. “As you may already know, we also have two additional wells that should be completed in Spring of 2025 that will add additional capacity to our system. We are also drilling test wells in various locations to determine the next site for a well and/or water storage.”
Sullivan said the projects set to be completed this fiscal year have already been included in this year’s budget.
“Lack of maintenance to our system in the past makes it necessary to continue making improvements for existing customers and new customers,” she said.
The next upgrades include a new water line along Fairhope Avenue and a new water main along State Highway 181.
The city council meeting will be on November 21.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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