The Chuckey Utility District is preparing to start a large water-line replacement project along Ripley Island Road.

A new 16-inch water line will replace 13,000 feet of existing line that is "full of leaks," according to Shirley Collins, general manager of the County Water Office.

Work is expected to start in the next couple of weeks and could take 9 to 12 months to complete, Collins said.

In a cost-saving measure, the utility is using its own crews to install the new line. The crews will have to balance the Ripley Island Road work with installation of lines to service new community homes being developed by Greene Valley Developmental Center, Collins said.

The Ripley Island Road installation is one of several projects being funded by a $300,000 federal grant and a $1,140,000 loan, both from the USDA Rural Development Agency, announced in April 2008.

The utility also is planning to replace part of its water lines along Middle Creek Road and to build a water tank off Paul Baskette Road, Collins said.

Also with the funds, the utility has completed small water-line replacement projects on Swanay Road, Paul Baskette Road, Oakdale Drive, Campbell Circle and Bitner Lane, Collins said.