Jim Puliet, director of the Milford Water Department, told the Capital Improvement Advisory Committee on June 7 that the department plans a warrant article in 2026 to replace AC water mains in the North End and a longer program to address old mains and recurring breaks in several neighborhoods.

On the North End project he said engineers are finalizing designs and the department plans a warrant article this fall to fund construction in 2026; the job targets aging AC and original mains in the Amherst Street/North End area and would consolidate flow onto larger‑diameter mains to reduce brown water incidents.

Jim described a separate Brookview booster pump station project. The current underground pump vault is deteriorating and requires confined‑space entries that increase labor and safety costs. He said the department is looking at moving the installation above ground into a small heated building to reduce maintenance and prolong equipment life, and to spread work over several years so it can be done in‑house.

The department flagged Valhalla and Richfield as recurring problem streets with frequent main breaks. Jim said repeated repairs and poor original installation (shallow depth, boulder backfill) have driven up annual costs: “On average, we usually have about 13, 14 breaks a year… add that up. That’s about $130,000 a year,” he told the committee. The department is evaluating a focused warrant article to replace the worst sections with HDPE pipe; HDPE is rated for roughly 200 years, Jim added.

Environmental compliance: Jim said Milford is monitoring PFAS (PFOS/PFAS) at the municipal sludge landfill. He said groundwater sampling and annual reports to EPA and the state Department of Environmental Services continue; current results are “status quo” and not showing increased concentrations, but the town is watching regulatory developments closely. “Right now, I’m kinda curious to see how things go because EPA just rolled back some regulations with PFAS on the drinking water side… we’re still monitoring it,” he said.

Lead and galvanized services: Jim explained the town is implementing the state’s new service-line inventory and replacement obligations that require identification and replacement of lead or galvanized service lines feeding buildings. The town has begun inventory work and letters to homeowners; crews now record service material during meter exchanges and, when lead or galvanized service is found, the town sends compliance notices. Where needed the department has helped homeowners by contracting replacement work and offering internal payment plans to avoid high-interest costs.

Budget and timing: Jim said the department is balancing many simultaneous projects—mains, pump stations, PFAS monitoring and sludge landfill obligations—and that project schedules and funding sources will determine timing. He asked the committee to consider the North End main replacement for a 2026 warrant article and to treat remaining items as exploratory or future articles.

Ending: The committee received technical briefings and asked for follow-up cost estimates; members requested clearer cost breakdowns for Valhalla/Richfield replacements and an update on PFAS regulatory guidance before the next ranking meeting.