Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton is putting pressure on Kentucky American Water, a local utility, as a project to replace a water main on Fontaine Road continues.
According to a Wednesday release, Gorton said the utility declined her request to hold a public forum for neighbors. The city says the project was originally supposed to be completed “last summer or fall.”
Kentucky American originally announced the Fontaine Road project in August 2025, along with a handful of other city maintenance projects.
“I have called the president of Kentucky American and, rather than setting a face-to-face meeting with Chevy Chase neighbors as I requested, he said they are planning to distribute information through doorhangers or sticky notes to people who are directly affected by the project,” Gorton said in the release. “That does not give neighbors an opportunity to ask questions.”
The mayor also said the utility has requested extended work hours during peak traffic time, from 3 to 6 p.m. Kentucky American confirmed it made that request in its own statement late Wednesday.
“Only during these defined hours may our crews be present on the job site, mobilize equipment, perform work and demobilize equipment, the result of which reduces time allotted to advance the project. This contrasts with LFUCG’s approach to its own utility work, which is often granted more flexible hours as well as the option to close roadways, the latter of which is particularly beneficial to quickening a project’s pace,” the statement reads.
Gorton said the city would only agree to the extension if a public meeting is held and a hard end date for the project established. The company said it expects to wrap up work by the end of September.
According to communications obtained by WEKU through an open records request, Kentucky American expects to finish “concrete to surface, curbing, sidewalks and all other hardscape affected by our waterline installation” along Fontaine and the Euclid Avenue intersection by Sept. 7.
The city also said there have been delays after a contractor “allegedly went bankrupt” and after Kentucky American pulled contractors to address water issues in Owenton.
The utility disputes it removed contractors from Fontaine and said the project was always intended to be completed this year. It did confirm the original contractor left and was replaced.
Neighbors report leaks amid reported sewer damage
Last week, Kentucky American Water said crews had damaged sewer lines while working along Fontaine. No major or continuous leaks have been reported to the city, and no contamination has been detected.
The news of the sewer damage followed a since-deleted social media post claiming raw sewage had leaked from affected lines, undetected, for some time.
Correspondence between top city officials and Lexington utility workers reviewed by WEKU indicate “sporadic” flow from affected houses, but no continuous leaks and no contaminants or odors detected in water samples.
The city said work on North Limestone and High Street has “also caused problems this summer.”
It’s not the first time the mayor has publicly criticized Kentucky American over the timeline of the Fontaine work. In May, Gorton wrote in a social media post she had been “frustrated” by the project and has previously asked the utility to “speed up the process.”
Gorton said Wednesday the city is “exploring how to voice its concerns concerning Fontaine and other projects to the Public Service Commission,” as local governments have little control over utility work.
