HAMPSTEAD — Town staff told the Hampstead Town Council the Board of Public Works approved $19,500,000 in EPA and Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) funding for the town’s water system centralization and modernization project, and staff reported additional financing that would cover the remainder of the project cost. "Every penny that we said we need for this project, they gave it to us through the other grant or the loan," a town staff member said.

Why it matters: The project addresses PFAS and other contamination issues in the town’s water system and involves pipeline and treatment-plant work that will affect neighborhoods served by town water.

Town staff said the town has applied for an additional $8,150,000 and on July 1 received a $1,000,000 grant from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (PFAS emerging contaminants fund). Staff also reported a $7,157,146 award from the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund (DWSRF), described in the meeting as a low-interest loan; staff said they will compare the DWSRF terms with financing options from F&M Bank. The staff member said the current reported loan interest rate is about 2.5% with a 30-year repayment term.

Construction sequencing and procurement: The town held a preconstruction meeting for the pipeline portion and said Mid Atlantic Utilities expects to begin Shiloh Road pipeline work in August with the goal of completing that segment by the start of school after Labor Day. The town released bid documents for construction of the water treatment plants on June 23; more than 20 firms requested the documents, and a presubmittal meeting for contractors is scheduled for July 10 with site visits. Staff said the work will be awarded in two contracts (north and south/other sites) and bids are due August 4 at 2 p.m.; the town noted firms may bid on both contracts.

Public outreach: Town staff proposed a public town hall on the PFAS project for July 31 at 6:30 p.m., to precede construction and to provide residents an opportunity to hear from engineers and ask questions.

Quotes and attributions: The town staff member who reported funding and procurement details spoke during the council meeting; the transcript identifies that speaker as Jim. Public works- and water-related operational details (daily usage, tower inspections) were reported separately by Ben, identified in the meeting as a town staff member who tracks water statistics.

What’s next: Town staff said they will continue to pursue grants to reduce borrowing, finalize loan terms, conduct the contractor presubmittal meeting, and hold the July 31 town hall if engineering staff can attend.

Ending: The council did not take a formal vote on project design or contracts at the meeting; staff presented funding, procurement schedule, and outreach plans and instructed contractors and departments to proceed with the advertised procurement timetable.