HANCOCK – As the project to reconstruct Reservation and Quincy streets continues, work to upgrade the city’s water system also continues. The City Council heard about the progress at its regular meeting Wednesday.

The project will include the installation of two pressure-reducing vaults, and the replacement of 80 service laterals, 28 valves, 21 hydrants and all 1,600 water meters in the city. The work is being done by Bill Siler Contracting, Inc.

The streets getting the water system upgrade are East, Ethel, Franklin, Maple, Mine, Roberts, Wright and Fourth.

Pipes are being installed on Quincy Street during the reconstruction.

City Manager Glenn Anderson said work has finished on Mine Street and is progressing on Wright Street.

“That’s the most complicated section,” he said.

Hydrants are being installed, and many of the water meters have been installed.

“We estimate 760 water meters have been replaced,” he said. “That’s about half.”

After work is completed on Wright Street, Anderson said Maple Street will be next.

The cost of the project is $1.08 million for the work downtown and $2.23 million for the rest of the streets.

In a May Gazette story about the water system upgrade, Anderson said the water project began in 2008.

“With this project we will have spent $14 million on water alone since 2008,” he said in May.

The work has focused on the south part of the city, Anderson said, where some of the water pipes were more than 80 years old and undersized.

“This is the last phase of the water project,” he said. “The sections we have done will last another 80 to 100 years.”

On another topic on Wednesday, Anderson said Waste Management will start garbage and recycling pickup on Sept. 12. The east side of the city will be covered on Mondays, and the west side on Wednesdays. Trash must be on the curbs by 7 a.m.

Anderson said Aug. 25 is the last day the city will pick up items for recycling.