Water line replacement moving along in Gunstock Acres

By GAIL OBER, LACONIA DAILY SUN

GILFORD — The Gunstock Acres Village Water District has coordinated with the Department of Public Works and with the replacement of a half-mile of water main, the Mountain Drive could be ready for road construction in early August.

The water district is separate and independent from the town of Gilford, and the water portion of it is paid solely from user fees assessed to the people who live there. The roads are maintained by the town. The water district contracts with New England Service Company for maintenance and repairs.

According to Gunstock Acres resident and Gilford Budget Committee member Norm Silber, there are about 10 or 11 wells and most water is pumped through a labyrinth of water pipes. Mountain Road is one of the key access roads that transverses the acres running from Route 11 A off Cherry Valley Road to near Cumberland Road that ends on Route 11 near Lake Winnipesaukee.

He said his understanding is that along Mountain Road, most of the original water piping is original cast iron that was laid near standard ledge. He said when the ground freezes and later thaws, the ledge shifts and the pipes crack or break.

Water District Manager Alex Crawshaw said that so far about 400 feet of old cast iron pipe has been replaced. He said that in the past, when there was a leak the district would fix it with stainless steel clamps.

"In those first 400 feet we've removed 12 clamps," he said.

He said the water district had money in its accounts and has used it to dig a trench to lay the new water lines. He said this phase goes from Alpine Drive to Deer Run and is estimated to cost $300,000.

Crawshaw said that at some points the water main transects the road so there will be a few days that a portion of the road is closed but so far that hasn't happened.

"Since the road is a loop, no driveway will be shut off," Crawshaw said.

Once the water project is complete, the town's Public Works Department will completely rebuild the same section of road at an estimated cost of $148,800, which was included in the Public Works Department budget and approved at Town Meeting.

Mountain Drive is one of three major road projects planned by the Department of Public Works this construction season. Edgewater Drive (west) and Saltmarsh Pond Road are the other two major projects.

Crew from Dawson's Excavating and Utilites work on a steep section of Mountain Drive in the Gunstock Acres Village Water District. (Laconia Daily Sun Photo/Gail Ober)