In November, local residents may be wise to beware the intersection of Stevenson Lane with Hillen Road.
From Tuesday, Nov. 1, through Monday, Nov. 21, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works will be installing new water valves on Stevenson Lane to complete the first phase of the approximately $25 million Towson reservoir renovation and covering project, according to director Alfred Foxx.
And between Monday, Nov. 7, and Friday, Nov. 18, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, Stevenson Lane just south of Hillen Road will be reduced to one lane, with flaggers regulating traffic in both directions, according to the office of 5th District County Council member David Marks.
The traffic moves, too, are part of the reservoir project. Residents are advised to use other routes whenever possible. The contractor is installing a total of 2,300 feet of 36- and 54-inch diameter water pipes under Stevenson and Hillen.
The reservoir serves a 31.5-square-mile area that includes northeast Baltimore city as well as Towson, Lutherville, Riderwood, Ruxton and Timonium.
As the Clean Drinking Water Act requires, Baltimore City must enclose or "post-treat" its finished drinking water reservoirs. These include Towson, Montebello II, Guilford, Ashburton, Druid Lake and others.
The Towson reservoir was built in 1927.
City officials say the project will not only provide added drinking water protection but will also increase the amount of usable stored drinking water from 9 million gallons to 16 million gallons.
In addition, building enhancements and landscaping will improve the aesthetics of the site, Foxx said. The entire project is expected to be completed by late 2013.
The city does not anticipate anyone to be out of water or encounter reduced water pressure. But in the event that the work generates an outage or low water pressure, the area affected would be from the city line through Towson, Carney, Hampton, Lutherville, Cockeysville, Pot Springs, Timonium and Hunt Valley.
Officials said residents are encouraged to keep three days worth of bottled or refrigerated tap water on hand in case of emergencies — which is the standard emergency preparedness provision.