Tennessee American Water said today it will switch water flow from the old pipe to the new pipe it installed earlier this week along Hixson Pike at Lupton Drive on Saturday.
Company spokeswoman Daphne Kirksey said the conversion is expected sometime between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. While this process is being completed, customers in the area will experience low water pressure or no water.
Tennessee American Water completed installing 600 feet of new pipe on Hixson Pike at the intersection of Lupton Drive, to replace the 1950's era pipe which had experienced its most recent break on July 25.
"We apologize for the disruption in service," said Tennessee American Water engineering manager Kurt Stafford. "We know residents rely on their water service in their daily lives. We chose to do this in Saturday to avoid disrupting the neighborhood school schedules on a weekday."
Customers were notified about the outage Friday afternoon as soon as lab results were received indicating the pipe was sufficiently cleaned and ready to be connected to homes.
After the water is turned back on, customers can run the cold tap until it runs clear if they experience air or discolored water. An outside spigot or bathtub faucet is recommended since it creates more flow.
Some repaving was completed this week while the bulk will take place next week and may continue into the week of Aug. 20.
"We appreciate the city of Chattanooga working with us to assure a traffic plan that helps commuters, children attending Rivermont Elementary and keeping workers on site and drivers safe," Stafford said. "We urge everyone to use extra caution when driving this portion of Hixson Pike."