Officials told the Westville Town Council that soil borings for a planned new water tower are scheduled and that recent upgrades to the water-treatment system have increased testing and operating demands.

A utilities staff member said the planned borings “go down 40 feet, I think it is, for the water tower,” and that locating work tied to a fiber project has required 30 to 40 hours of staff time. Staff also told the council the treatment-plant upgrade has increased sampling and testing work: “We basically doubled the times we’ve passed when we go through,” a utilities representative said. To help address workforce needs, the town hired a part-time laborer for the utilities department; council members acknowledged the hire is part of the salary ordinance.

Council discussion also covered work at the sewage plant and connections for the Westville Correctional facility. Officials said the town added to its sewage plant capacity to receive flows from the correctional facility and that the facility will also connect to the town’s water system. Staff said state funding and loan arrangements cover construction costs and that the new hookups are expected to keep water rates stable rather than produce new rate increases.

No formal vote was taken on new projects during the meeting. Staff said contractors will perform borings and continue coordination on locating underground utilities and fiber, and that the town will monitor operations once construction is complete.