By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Grayson Utilities Commission began their September meeting with Director Gerald Haney giving an update on the recent cast iron pipe replacement project in the city.
“They have been working on the ‘punch list’,” Haney told the commission. “Most of what is left is superficial or you could say cosmetic things.”
There were no leaks detected in the recently completed water line replacement, Haney said, and what was left amounted to replacing bricks in some areas, grass reseeding, and general cleanup.
Haney submitted two items to the commission for a vote, including a second change order. The change order (for approximately $5,300) was necessary to address some of the fire hydrants in the city that had a deeper bury and would require adding an extension in order to meet standards. A change order is issued when something unforeseen in the original bid requires completion to finish a project.
Haney also made the commission aware that the final payout on the cast iron pipe replacement project was in the amount of $79,831.54. The commission voted to approve the change order and voted to make the final payout.
Haney informed the commission that a paving project from Standifer that was originally bid at approximately $195,000 in asphalt cost had been updated as well.
“When we actually went out and physically measured and walked it all, it actually came out a bit more favorable on the tonnage required,” Haney said.
There would also be some millwork required that had not been calculated, such as near the church on Pomeroy and on Second Street near the sidewalk, Haney said.
“There will be some additional things, but nothing drastic,” he said. “Nothing street-wide where you would need a subcontractor.”
The additional paving work, Haney told the commission, was connected with the overall pipe replacement project and was the portion the commission is responsible for finishing. Haney explained that certain projects were the responsibility of the commission, and some were the responsibility of the City of Grayson. That, he noted, is why residents might see different colored markings on a roadway denoting who would be finishing repairs.
With the project being virtually complete, Haney told the commission that he did not anticipate the need for any additional meetings with Opell Excavating.
“We will probably just do a ‘walk through’ to make sure everything is complete, and then I’ll recommend that we release the retainage,” Haney said.
The warranty period for the work done by Opell Excavating began August 29 of 2025, Haney said, and the company would be responsible for any related problems for a period of one year. The warranty would include any leaks in the replaced portion of the water lines this winter, Haney told the commission.
Haney said that he did not anticipate any problems with the water pipe replacement project and told the commission that Opell’s Excavating had an extremely good track record.
“They have done a wonderful job,” Haney said. “They started late due to a supply issue but still managed to complete the project thirty days ahead of schedule.”
The cast iron water pipe replacement project is something Haney said the city has needed for some time, and it comes with the added bonus of updating technology that will both reduce the frequency and possibility of leaks while allowing the utilities commission to find the leaks quicker if they do occur. And, in the event a leak does occur, fewer people can expect to be impacted, as the new shut-off valves will allow for a more localized, and less widespread, interruption of water supply.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
