By Tamas Mondovics
In its ongoing effort to make improvements to the water distribution system infrastructure in the Brandon and surrounding communities, the Hillsborough County Public Utilities Department has scheduled a public meeting to discuss an upcoming project to install additional fire hydrants in the area of Bryan and Bama Rds. in Brandon, and the planned construction of more than four miles of new water lines to support firefighting capabilities.
The 6:30 p.m. meeting scheduled for Tuesday, August 27 at the Bloomingdale Regional Library located at 1906 Bloomingdale Ave. is one of a series of public events the county has been hosting in connection with its effort to improve the area’s water line infrastructure.
Since it began in 2006, the Fire Protection Improvement Master Program has installed 311 new fire hydrants and approximately 118,000 ft. of new water pipeline to better serve our community.
According to County Public Utilities officials, the $1.8 million project, which is one of the largest since the improvement effort began, will install 92 fire hydrants in the area south of Lumsden Rd., east of John Moore Rd., north of Bracken Ln. and west of Bell Shoals Rd.
Approximately 22,000 ft. of new 6-inch water pipeline will be constructed to support the new hydrants.
Construction is scheduled to get under way this September and be completed within a year.
County spokesperson, Michelle Van Dyke, said that the project is part of a multi-year program to improve fire protection in older neighborhoods that don’t have enough fire hydrants by today’s development codes. “Residents will be notified of any shutdowns 48 hours in advance,” she said.
The project is being funded through the Public Utilities Department’s Fire Protection Improvement Master Program, a part of the Water Enterprise Capital Improvement Program.
Representatives from Hillsborough County, the engineering design firm and construction company will be at the meeting to answer questions about the project and what residents should expect during construction.
For more information about the project, visit the county’s website at http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/index.aspx?NID=3095.
