Project area

The Lawndale Basin is in northern Hillsborough. The project area includes:

• An easement between Rainey Avenue and Torain Street.
• Parts of Lawndale and Rainey avenues and parts of Cornelius, Hill and Torain streets.

Funding

The project is estimated to cost about $1.5 million.

The town will receive a low-interest loan of about $1.1 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which includes loan forgiveness for up to $500,000 of the funding.

The remaining part of the project will be paid for from reserve funds and should have no impact on future customer rates.

Orange County installed the sewers in this area under a grant program in the 1980s before the town assumed ownership. The sewers now need repair or replacement. 

A hired contractor studied the condition of the sewers and the sewer service connections from homes in the Lawndale Basin. The study included monitoring flow in the sewers during different times of day and storm events.

Part of the project will involve installing a sewer cleanout pipe where one may be missing. The pipe allows access to the sewer line to remove blockages. It helps specify between public and private ownership. 

• The town maintains the public portion of sewer lines. 
• Property owners are responsible for the section of sewer service lines that connects to their structure from the right of way or easement. 

When a sewer is relined, the service connection from a home or building is blocked temporarily.

The relining process reduces disturbance to roads and yards because the work is performed by machines underground.

To line a sewer:

• A flexible resin inverted “sock” is inserted into the sewer main through manholes.
• The sock is cured or hardened to the pipe's shape. Crews use hot steam or water or sometimes ultraviolet light for the curing process.
• A machine cuts openings in the relined pipe for any sewer services connected to the sewer main.

When workers reline the sewer pipes:

• The sewer service connection from your home to the sewer line will be blocked.
• Pressure in the sewer line can force water out of toilets and drains.

The contractor will communicate directly with residents when service disruption will occur. Service connections will be reopened at the end of the noted workday.

Avoid a Sewer Backup

On the day your service is disrupted:

• Do not do laundry, dishwashing, bathing or other activities that use large amounts of water.
• Keep toilets flushed after use.
• Place a towel on the rim of your toilet bowl and keep the seat and lid closed.
• Cover any basement floor drains.

The curing process for lining a sewer may produce an odor, like glue or a permanent marker. The odor may enter your home through the pipe that connects your home to the public sewer main. 

The odor is caused by styrene, a naturally occurring chemical, used in the resin of the liners. The airborne concentration levels are minimal and do not pose a health risk. During short-term exposure, the chemical can cause eye irritation, headache and discomfort. The odor will disappear once the pipe lining is fully hardened.

Avoid Potential Odor

To Avoid the Odor — Run water into sinks, bathtubs and drains to fill the P-trap fitting on pipes, creating a water barrier. About a gallon of water will fill the U-shaped portion of the pipe, which keeps sewer gas and other vapors out of your home or building.

If Odor Is Inside — Open windows or use fans to refresh and circulate your home’s air.

If Odor Remains — If the odor remains despite the steps above, contact a plumber about fixing a potential open air connection to the sewer. That problem is a health risk from sewer gas entering your home.

Timeline and Hours — The project is expected to start in November 2025. Once the project moves forward, it is expected to take about six months to complete. Construction activities will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday unless approved in writing by the town.

Construction — Noise and traffic disruptions will occur throughout the project. Contractors may need to dig in the road or rights of way to make repairs. They will use manholes or sewer cleanouts in the right of way to reline sewers. One lane of traffic may be closed. If repairs are needed on private property, the contractor will coordinate with the resident.

Markings — Workers will place paint markings or flags on the ground to identify underground utilities where digging may occur. Paint markings wash off with time. Please do not disrupt the project markings.

Equipment — If equipment or materials are stored on private property, the contractor should have a written contract with the property owner.

Post-construction — The contractor will restore areas disturbed by the project.