Water line replacement in Dayton

DAYTON - A contract should be released next month for work to replace a major water line in the community's historic district.

"The contract should be awarded in mid-January and, depending upon the weather, work should begin in February," said Lyon County Engineer Dan O'Brien. "If the weather holds, the project should take about two months to complete."

During the course of the project, Dayton's Main Street will be under construction from its intersection with River Street to Highway 50.

"Considering how narrow the street is, traffic control will be necessary during this time. We would ask residents to bypass the area whenever possible," O'Brien said.

The line carries water from the town wells up to the water tank on the hill above Dayton and services businesses along its route.

According to O'Brien, this section is one of the remaining portions installed when water service was first provided to the community. The section from the tank to Main Street was replaced about two years ago.

It is not clear whether it is a 6-inch or 8-inch line, O'Brien said. It will be upgraded to a 12-inch main to tie in with the rest of the system serving Dayton and development south of the Carson River. Rose Peak and developments to the east are served by separate systems, he said.

"In effect, the upgrade will keep a good fire flow in the area. This section has been a bottleneck in the system," O'Brien said. "Water availability is affected by how quickly we can replace the water in the Dayton tank in times of high use. This will definitely help."