OBSERVER Photo by Jo Ward One of the fire hydrants located on Roosevelt Avenue in the city of Dunkirk. With the new water line being ran this year, residents will see new, operational fire hydrants as well.

Some water line construction is shaping up to take place on West Seventh Street and Roosevelt Avenue this summer. At last month’s Financial Committee meeting Department of Public Works Director Randy Woodbury gave an update on the project that is set to go out to bid around the end of March.

“Some chromium got into the ground and hurt that 20-inch line there,” Woodbury said of the water line on Lucas Avenue that was destroyed by Brownfield chemicals. “When we found out about that, we shut it off. We have consent order money, we can reroute that line down West Seventh Street and then down Roosevelt Avenue and then tie it into the 12-inch line on Sixth Street, which will also help boost the pressure.”

Woodbury stated that the city wants to keep clear of the street and is looking to instead, tear up the sidewalk on the east side of Roosevelt. Once the line is in the ground that area will see all new sidewalk laid.

“The water services on Roosevelt are fine,” Woodbury added. “Right now we don’t have a good link between the 12-inch and the 20-inch lines because we had to shut that off; so it’s decreased the fire protection, it’s decreased the possibility of feeding water in a different direction to the high school.”

The fire hydrants along West Seventh and Roosevelt are all black capped at the moment, meaning they wouldn’t be used in case of emergency. The new line will allow the city to place all new fire hydrants along the roadway which could potentially lower home owners insurance in the future.