Refill could begin by April 6

The Augusta Canal will remain empty longer than expected and likely won't be refilled before the end of Masters Week.

The channel was drained Jan. 27 to allow workers to install new pipes linking the Waterworks Pumping Station with the city's drinking water plant on Highland Avenue.

The project has fallen behind schedule, according to Drew Goins, the acting director of the Augusta Utilities Department, who met with contractors this week to seek ways to speed up the progress.

"The contractor is looking into putting on an additional crew to see if that will be of any benefit," Mr. Goins wrote in an e-mail. "The contractor is now working two shifts, 16 hours a day, seven days a week. One would think that adding another crew would help, but with a tight construction site, sometimes too many people on a job site get in the way of each other."

The drawdown was supposed to occur Jan. 8 and the entire project was to take about two months.

But the initial draining didn't begin until nearly three weeks later because of extended tests needed for diesel pumps that are pumping drinking water from the Savannah River while the canal is empty.

"The current schedule has us rewatering the canal starting on April 6," Mr. Goins wrote. "The rewatering will take approximately seven to 10 days. As you can probably guess, the weather plays a significant role in a construction schedule. With the rain coming in this weekend, the schedule may change."

With the Masters Tournament and its practice rounds scheduled for April 6-12, an empty canal could mean fewer visitors to the popular National Heritage Area.

"Obviously we're going to have to stay as flexible as possible," said marketing director Rebecca Rogers of the Augusta Canal Authority. "But we did know this project was coming, and we know things get delayed."

The canal's Petersburg tour boats would, of course, be unavailable to Masters visitors, but the Interpretive Center would remain open as usual, she said.

"We count on good, steady business during Masters Week, but unlike the hotels and restaurants, it is not the biggest boom week for us, though," she said.

According to Canal Authority records, revenues during the 2008 Masters Week totaled $6,453, which included the sale of 499 tickets and additional revenue through the sale of items in the Interpretive Center's gift shop.

The major impact of the draining has been on local school systems, whose field trips to the canal have been limited by the construction.

"It has caused us to have to postpone some trips from school groups, as this is our biggest time of year for field trips, when the weather first gets warm," she said. "Our education coordinator is juggling things as fast as she can to get in as many schools as we can after it's refilled."

Reach Rob Pavey at (706) 868-1222, ext. 119, or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.