Pennsylvania American Water is in the midst of replacing several aging main water lines that are among $3.2 million in water main replacements in the county.

Contractors working for the utility company began upgrading a water main along Mercer Street in the city of Butler and Reiber Road in Connoquenessing Township earlier this month. That work is expected to be completed by the end of October, said Pennsylvania American water spokesman Gary Lobaugh.

Beginning in mid-October, contractors will replace lines along Coal and North Jackson streets in Butler and Division Street in Butler Township.

Some of the mains measure 4 inches in diameter and some are 6 inches. The 4-inch lines are being replaced with 6-inch lines and the 6-inch lines are being replaced with 8-inch lines, he said.

“They really help with fire protection, fire flows because we're able to put more water through,” Lobaugh said.

A total of a mile of water mains are being replaced in those projects at a cost of $1 million and three miles of lines have already been replaced, Lobaugh said. The cost for all the projects is $3.2 million, which is the average spent on line replacements in the county every year, he said.

“In Butler (County), we have about 270 miles of main,” Lobaugh said.

To determine when to replace lines, Pennsylvania American Water considers a line's reliability, age and material and whether the age is affecting water quality, he said.

A cast iron line that had two or three breaks and is more than 70 years old is considered for replacement, Lobaugh said, adding that cast iron lines last 70 to 100 years.

New mains are made of ductile iron that also has a 100-year life expectancy, he said.

“The goal is to replace pipe on a 100-year cycle,” Lobaugh said.

Butler Mayor Ben Smith said the utility does a good job of upgrading water lines.

“Pennsylvania American Water is always planning ahead, They try to reinvest back into their infrastructure, which is a good forward-looking strategy,” Smith said.

He said the city is notified about upcoming replacement projects and the work is always done well.

Butler Township Manager Tom Knights also commended the utility's work.

“Pennsylvania American Water is pretty good at seeking out those older lines,” Knights said.

Replacing lines improves water flow and helps with fighting fires, he said.