Construction on a controversial 30-mile water pipeline is well underway. But negative comments at a public meeting Monday night in Frankfort reveal that opposition to it is not going away.

Kentucky American Water officials from Lexington met for two hours with about 50 to update the progress of the pipeline, booster station and treatment plant construction, and to listen to complaints.

Longer road closures than expected and damage to roads and trees and property along the route were some of the voiced concerns.

Kentucky American spokesman Brian Wright talked about a KAW corridor enhancement plan, saying the company wanted to hear suggestions from citizens along the route.

Wright and project engineer Linda Bridwell said it could include improving a small park near the Switzer covered bridge on Elkhorn Creek and repairing rock fences.

Fran Pinkston, a property owner by the covered bridge, said, "How can you stand there tonight and talk about a nice park when the property owner is completely opposed to you being there in the first place?"

After the meeting Pinkston said she's opposed to the pipeline not only because it comes through her property, "but because it's not the proper solution to the water supply deficit in Fayette County. It's not a permanent solution and it's certainly not the cheapest solution for Kentucky and the region.

"The ratepayers of Lexington and Central Kentucky will be adversely impacted, significantly. The cost of energy is increasing like we've never seen before. The cost of pumping this water from the Kentucky River to Lexington is going up every day."

Pinkston is a member of Citizens for Alternative Water Solutions, which filed an appeal in Franklin Circuit Court to the Public Service Commission's decision in April to approve Kentucky American's $162 million project.

Franklin County Magistrate Ira Fannin, who lives on Indian Gap Road where the pipeline will run, said "confusion" was all he got out of Monday's meeting at the Franklin County Extension office.

"People just aren't happy about the pipeline coming through their community," Fannin said. "It is a shame the PSC, two guys, made such a bad mistake by allowing it. I'm really disappointed circuit court hasn't acted on this."

Marcella Wiley, a property owner on Jones Lane, said Kentucky American "is supposed to be trying to have a good rapport with the people, and listen to our wants and come to a peaceful agreement. But they are not sticking to their word. They're changing it every time we have a meeting with them."

She said the Frankfort Plant Board plans to connect with the Louisville Water Company to get water from the Ohio River, "and that will take care of all of Frankfort's needs. Before it's all over with, (Kentucky American) will be providing water to new developments, which will create sprawl.

"I think there should be some rural parts in America. Some of us choose a life in the country because it's peaceful."

But Kentucky American is destroying that tranquility, said Wiley, who lives about a mile from the corner of Woodlake Road and Jones Lane where a booster pumping station and 3 million gallon water storage tank is being built.

"Every morning we wake up at 5:45 with this thumping from a rock splitter," she said. "There's going to be a major earthquake if they keep doing this rock splitting. It's ungodly what they've done to our countryside."

CAWS member Chris Schimmoeller, a northern Franklin County resident, said, "I think we showed our anger tonight. I think people are justifiably enraged at having our land suffer from this enormous pipeline when there are very reasonable alternatives.

"We believe we have winnable arguments in circuit court and we believe we can stop this pipeline," Schimmoeller said in reference to the appeal pending with Franklin County Circuit Court.

Bridwell said she thinks the meeting was worthwhile.

"I think we came away with some things Kentucky American needs to do," such as work closer with the pipeline contractor and improve communications with the property owners along the route, Bridwell said.

In Owen County, just across the Franklin County line on U.S. 127, a new 20-million-gallon-a-day water treatment plant is being built at Pool 3 on the Kentucky River, near Monterey.

From the plant, a 42-inch underground pipeline will be built to carry water to Lexington. The pipeline will run one-tenth of a mile in Owen County, 15.3 miles in Franklin County, 10.7 miles in Scott County and 3.8 miles in Fayette County.

The entire project is scheduled for completion in early summer of 2010.

According to Kentucky American Water, 55 percent of the pipeline is expected to be in public rights-of-way, and 45 percent will require obtaining private easements from about 100 property owners, including about 40 in Franklin County.

Bridwell said about 50 percent of the easements have been obtained.

KAW says the project is important because "a sufficient supply of water is not currently available to meet the needs of Kentucky American Water's customers during a drought of record." The project "will address this need through 2030," KAW says.