Some customers of Selma Water Works and Sewer Board may receive their water through new lines as part of the ongoing construction planned for the Riverfront Park.

Patty Sexton, historic preservation and revitalization coordinator for the Selma Planning and Development Department, told the water board Monday that during construction would be a good time for the water works to come in and replace the old lines.

It’s uncertain if the replacement of the 6-inch water mains along Water Avenue would be a portion of the overall project or a separate project, Sexton said.

The first phase of construction of the historic riverfront park in Selma is scheduled to begin construction sometime this summer. The initial phase will include construction of about 2,300 linear feet of a 10-foot wide concrete path, a 50-foot timber bridge and two overlooks adjacent to the Alabama River.

The estimated cost of the first phase is $340,000. Eighty percent of the project is through a Transportation Enhancement Grant through the Alabama Department of Transportation. The city will pick up the other 20 percent.

“The project has gone to the state,” Sexton told the water board. “The project is on DOT’s desk now.”

Sexton said the state is close to awarding a bid for the contract. “We’re still waiting on DOT to approve the streetscape and utilities.”

Karen Cox, a spokeswoman for ALDOT, said two projects are under consideration by the state. One is for Water Avenue, which would include placing utilities underground and the streetscape with sidewalks. The other is the riverfront park, which would include the pedestrian bridge.

The architects for the projects have picked up the plans from the state to make some corrections and adjustments, she said. Cox said the state has no firm date for awarding the contract, but that it should be “sometime this spring.”

Selma Mayor George Evans, superintendent of the water board, said he wants to get key players together, figure out the scope and cost of the project of installing new water lines during construction, then come back to the water board.