Outages planned during water system repair in northeast Colorado Springs

Some businesses around the intersection of Austin Bluffs Parkway and North Academy Boulevard will have water outages in May and April as Colorado Springs Utilities completes the second phase of a project to replace parts of the water system. 

Utilities said that the project will install new multiple-isolation valves on major water mains at the intersection. Intended to prevent major unplanned outages, the valves are meant to stop water main breaks like the one that happened in the area in March 2021. 

Here are the proposed schedules: 

North Academy Boulevard 

• April 10 through April 22: preparatory work. 
• Morning of April 23 through morning of April 26: water valve installation, including planned outages. 
• May 2 and 3: road restoration. 

Austin Bluffs Parkway 

• May 4 through May 13: preparatory work. 
• Morning of May 14 through morning of May 17: water valve installation, including planned outages. 
• May 24 through June 5: road restoration. 

Utilities said lane closures will impact the intersection in every direction, with turn lanes especially affected. 

The water outages are slated to affect businesses around the intersection, on April 23 through April 26 and on May 14 through May 17. The outage will start with a gradual loss of water pressure over April 23 as the system is entirely drained.

Some businesses could experience unplanned outages in the area, Utilities said, and should plan accordingly by limiting water usage. CSU requested customers not water lawns or clean outdoor surfaces or vehicles, in addition to any other non-essential water uses. 

CSU said crews will work around the clock to minimize impacts. 

Affected utilities customers are being notified through text, email, phone calls and mail, CSU said. The outages will also be visible on Utilities' online outage map.