Lakeville voters approve $4.8 million for water storage tank and pump station

Lakeville residents at town meeting approved a $4,800,000 appropriation to fund construction of an elevated 500,000-gallon water storage tank and a pump station, a proposal supporters said would improve fire protection and economic development in the town’s northern service area.

Supporters said the tank would provide roughly 300,000 gallons of fire protection storage and 200,000 gallons for emergency and peak demand. Engineers and selectmen told the meeting the project would let Lakeville secure wholesale water purchases and add capacity for commercial growth, while the town could use betterments to assess a portion of the project cost to future properties that directly or indirectly benefit.

The selectmen-authorized borrowing may be issued under Chapter 44, Section 8(4) of the Massachusetts General Laws or through the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust, town officials said. The motion, moved from the floor and seconded, carried by the required two-thirds majority; the teller count recorded 221 votes in favor and 9 opposed.

During roughly 35 minutes of discussion, residents and officials pressed town leaders and CDM engineers on the project scope, phasing, and who would pay. Ben Leveque, an engineer with CDM, said the design evaluated current pressures supplied by the Taunton water system and modeled future commercial growth in the northern part of Lakeville. He said pump outages at Taunton can reduce system pressures and that the tank is sized to protect fire flows now and to accommodate realistic near-term growth.

Selectman Nancy (first name used in the meeting) told voters the town must submit a design by Aug. 1 to qualify for federal stimulus (American Recovery) funds the project team is pursuing; she said the town’s application deadline for the program requires the town meeting vote to be in hand by June 30. Town officials estimated the new debt service and grant package would result in an annual obligation of roughly $250,000 on the $4.8 million note; the project team and selectmen said a one‑cent per gallon surcharge on existing purchases from Taunton could generate about $300,000 annually on current usage before new customers tie in.

Residents asked whether betterment assessments could be levied on properties where the water main passes even if owners did not connect; selectmen and staff said the statute the meeting previously approved (Chapter 40 sections 42g–42k) permits assessment of betterments on properties that directly or indirectly benefit, and that specific betterment calculations and public hearings would come later. Town staff also said the City of Taunton will maintain the tower under the proposed arrangements, and that more detailed intermunicipal agreements remain to be negotiated.

The motion authorized the selectmen to borrow the funds, to enter loan and project regulatory agreements with the Water Pollution Abatement Trust if needed, and to assess betterments under the cited state statutes. The article passed by 2/3 on the teller count. Town officials said next steps include finalizing design, consolidating intermunicipal agreements with Taunton, and submitting the grant/loan application to preserve eligibility for stimulus funds.

The meeting record shows the appropriation carried 221–9. Selectmen and engineering staff emphasized that the final assessment rates, timing of tie‑ins, and detailed betterment schedules would be set in future public hearings and are not fixed by this vote.