Louisville council to consider $839,575 water-main project, meter conversion
The proposed 2026 work would replace mains on Circle, Grant and Jefferson avenues and convert Parco Dello Zingaro to individual primary meters; Garfield Avenue work near Louisville Elementary is deferred to 2027.
Louisville City Council is scheduled July 28 to consider authorizing up to $839,575.21 for 2026 water-main replacement on portions of Circle Drive, Grant Avenue and Jefferson Avenue, plus a conversion of the Parco Dello Zingaro mobile-home park to individual primary-meter infrastructure.
The city staff report recommends awarding Zoulek LLC a $763,250.19 contract and adding a 10% contingency of $76,325.02. The base bid covers Circle Drive and Grant Avenue for $334,728. Alternate No. 2 adds $214,966.14 for Jefferson Avenue, and Alternate No. 3 adds $213,556.05 for the mobile-home-park meter conversion.
The work would cover Circle Drive from South Boulder Road to Jefferson Avenue, Grant Avenue from Spruce Street to Pine Street, and Jefferson Avenue from Pine Street to Hutchinson Street. The city says the project would replace aging, undersized or deteriorated mains, improve water flow and reliability, and reduce the likelihood of emergency repairs.
The construction agreement with Zoulek requires substantial completion within 56 contract days after the city issues a notice to proceed and sets liquidated damages at $1,300 per day for delays. The city anticipates construction from October through November, but the July 28 action remains pending and the record does not show that work has begun.
Meter conversion would change the billing arrangement
The Parco Dello Zingaro work is described as the first phase of a longer-term meter transition. The city plans to install individual primary-meter infrastructure, but the record does not provide the final billing formula or say whether residents will pay the city directly or continue to be billed through the park.
Before construction, the city plans to notify the owner, send English- and Spanish-language notices to residents, meet with the owner about easements and the transition, and issue a final notice explaining timing, the owner’s billing plan and utility-payment assistance. The meter work is not supposed to begin until those steps are complete. June 16 council minutes show discussion of resident costs, billing notices and service-line maintenance.
Existing individual city meters and pits are expected to remain, potentially for submetering. The documents do not fully assign ongoing maintenance responsibilities or quantify how residents’ bills could change. The city plans to include information about payment assistance through Sister Carmen in its outreach.
Garfield work deferred near elementary school
Garfield Avenue work near Louisville Elementary School, listed as Alternate No. 1, is deferred to 2027. The city report says the alternate fit within the available budget but was not recommended for 2026 because construction could disrupt school traffic, drop-off and pickup, pedestrian access and school operations. The report does not provide a Garfield-specific cost increase or estimate of the risk of waiting.