Daily News Photo by SEAN McCOY Water distribution on St. Thomas will be upgraded during the coming weeks as the V.I. Water and Power Authority inserts a liner into a large portion of an aging water main in downtown Charlotte Amalie.

ST. THOMAS - Water distribution on St. Thomas will be upgraded during the coming weeks as the V.I. Water and Power Authority inserts a liner into a large portion of an aging water main in downtown Charlotte Amalie.

A blue plastic sleeve, slightly smaller than the existing water main, will be inserted into the pipe to carry water between Sub Base, Frenchtown and a portion of the waterfront.

WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge said the project is a much-needed repair for the aging line.

"It was put in in the '70s," Hodge said. "They usually have about a 30-year life expectancy, so it's way past its life span."

The water main has broken several times in recent years, requiring crews to dig up the waterfront apron to make repairs.

The $2.8 million project will be paid for with a combination of internal funds and a $1.5 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water capital improvement program.

This is the second phase of the project to rehabilitate the pipeline. The first phase, which was completed in July, replaced 870 feet of pipe between Gottlieb Gas Station and One Stop convenience store across from Addelita Cancryn Junior High School.

Now, 3,860 feet of 20-inch PVC piping will be inserted into the existing 24-inch water main.