For merchants and visitors in downtown Napoleon, it feels like an earthquake has hit this week. Huge back-hoes are tearing up Perry Street in order to replace a waterline that dates back over 115 years. Crews are finding ancient 15-inch by 15-inch timbers underground, along with old coal pits that use to serve the boilers for many downtown structures.
The current phase includes connection to the new water service for many downtown Napoleon customers. That might mean a less-than-30 minute shut-off of water, while that connection is made. Construction crews are knocking on doors to let property owners know when that cut-off is happening. The work will continue over the next week on Perry Street in Napoleon, followed by new sidewalks being installed, and then moving on to Washington Street for the next phase.