Raleigh to cut trees for future water pipe through Dix Park
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Raleigh Water begins $40M pipe project through Dix Park, clearing trees en route.
- Project spans five miles to boost reliability for western Raleigh water service.
- Route chosen over downtown or NC State campus due to cost and construction ease.
One of Raleigh’s largest water projects will snake through Dorothea Dix Park next year, forcing the city to start removing some trees in the park now.
Work began this week to clear a corridor behind the Flower Cottage to prepare for a 36-inch-diameter, iron pipe that will travel from Pullen Park to nearly Interstate 40.
The area is mostly unmaintained with smaller trees and brush, and the city won’t know the exact number of trees it has to cut down until it’s done, said Zach Manor, the city’s urban forester.
The smaller trees are mostly pines, but will also likely include some sweet gums, oaks and maples, he said.
Later, nine larger and mature trees at the park will be cut down when construction begins next year.
The city had to go through the park because there were no good alternatives, said Justin Biegler, one of the city’s project managers.
“You’re either going through downtown, or you’re going through N.C. State’s campus, or you’re needing to go through Dix Park,” he said. “So from a constructability and from a cost perspective, as well it is kind of just being the most direct path, Dix Park was identified as a good candidate.”
Pullen Park to Bain Water Project
This project was identified over 10 years ago by the city’s water system master plan to address “a couple of vulnerabilities.” It will cost an estimated $40 million.
The five miles of pipe will go from a booster station at Pullen Park to the original Bain water treatment plant, located at the corner of Wilmington and Fayetteville streets. A booster station helps regulate water pressure throughout the water distribution system.
“Ultimately, this project is going to improve system reliability, specifically to the western portions of Raleigh water service area, and also maximize some of our operational flexibility,” Biegler said.
This provides another route for water to flow, so if something goes wrong at another pipe or different route it won’t have as big of an impact on the overall water pipe network.
“Richmond had some issues,” Biegler said. “Asheville ended up with some issues related to Hurricane [Helene]. If a certain piece of the network fails, it can have big impacts elesewhere within the broader network.”
Raleigh Water serves over 600,000 residents across Wake County.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Raleigh to cut trees for future water pipe through Dix Park."
