Consultants tell Fairfield council water system needs new storage, piping upgrades; model booster pump for short-term pressure fix

Coleman Associates presented a draft Fairfield Town Water Master Plan to the council on March 19, outlining current system deficiencies and recommending staged upgrades including added storage, pipe upsizing and system looping to address low pressure and inadequate fire flow in the town’s northern area.

Consultant Eric Collins said the town currently has roughly 5.5 miles of pipeline, about 410,000 gallons of storage and a peak low flow near 230 gallons per minute; the draft recommends an immediate program of improvements and longer-term projects to meet projected build-out. "We're estimating right now here somewhere around $14,000,000 to make all these improvements," Collins said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the draft model shows several areas — particularly on the town’s north end — with pressures below the 20 pounds-per-square-inch (psi) threshold the transcript linked to fire-response considerations. Collins told the council that short-term measures (for example, a booster pump station) could increase system pressure while longer-term work would include adding storage tanks and upsizing transmission mains.

Key details and recommendations presented - Existing system: about 5.5 miles of pipelines and approximately 410,000 gallons of storage in two tanks; a separate small 4-inch feed also exists. - Near-term storage need: the consultant recommended adding roughly 500,000 gallons of storage within the next 5–10 years and an additional 1.5 million gallons at a later stage; an estimate for a 500,000-gallon tank was cited at about $1.8 million. - Distribution upgrades: recommended upsizing the 12-inch line from the tanks and additional 8-inch-to-12-inch upgrades along interior streets; consultants estimated roughly $4 million for major distribution upsizing shown in the draft. - System total: the draft report presented an estimated combined cost in the low-to-mid tens of millions (the consultant cited roughly $14 million as a planning-level total) but noted not all projects are required immediately. - Fire-flow/pressure fixes: the consultant recommended looping the dead‑end line on the north end and running hydraulic models to test whether a targeted loop or a booster pump station (a building housing pumps to elevate system pressure) would solve pressurerelated deficiencies. Collins said a booster pump station is a feasible interim fix but cautioned about overpressurizing customer plumbing.

Council directions and next steps from the meeting - Eric Collins and Coleman Associates will run hydraulic models to test a candidate loop on the north end and quantify whether a booster pump would provide the needed increase in pressure and fire flow. - Town staff offered to provide higher-frequency metering (AMI) data so consultants can refine demand estimates; Coleman requested access to that hourly/daily data for model updates. - Council asked for cost estimates for a small booster station and proposals for design/construction drawings to place in upcoming budgets; staff and the consultant agreed to return with estimates.

Costs and timeline noted in the draft - Short-term recommended work (e.g., booster pump, small piping tie-ins) is intended to be lower-cost and could be implemented within months to a year depending on design and permitting. - Larger projects (additional tanks, major transmission upsizing) are multi-year capital projects; the consultant recommended updating the master plan roughly every five years.

Council discussion included several practical questions about where new storage might go, whether developers could help fund new wells and lines, and the potential to use construction of new development to offset infrastructure costs. The draft sewer master plan was described as close to completion and expected to be delivered to staff in draft form soon.

The draft water master plan will be updated with council comments and additional data; no formal council approval of capital projects was made at the March 19 meeting.