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Agreement announced to design Londereerry water main; town and company to share costs
Summary
DEES staff said the town of Londereerry and the responsible company reached an agreement to design and install a new water main to provide alternate water in the consent-decree area; initial main ~ $4.3M (company ~$1.7M contribution, remainder from town using ARPA and trust funds); broader west-side connections estimated $20–30M and will be company responsibility under the agreement.
Mike (DEES) told the commission that DEES, the town of Londereerry and the responsible company reached an agreement to design and install a water main intended to provide alternate water service for properties inside the consent-decree area and to increase capacity east of High Range Road. He said the immediate project to design and install the water main is expected to be about $4.3 million; under the agreement the company will pay roughly $1.7 million and the town will use a mix of ARPA and drinking-water trust funds for the remainder.
Mike said the design and installation of the main will increase capacity east of High Range Road and create a basis for later extensions west into neighborhoods under the consent decree. He estimated the later buildout to reach all identified west-side connections could be on the order of $20–30 million and that the company will bear responsibility for that work under the agreement; the work will be done over several years.
Don, reporting on separate but related developments, told commissioners that the Marramac/Borough District (MBD) recently approved two water-main extension projects at its annual meeting—one project costing about $3.9 million and another estimated around $3.3 million—together providing roughly 120 potential connections. Don said MBD expects to use a mix of drinking-water SRF loans/grants and settlement proceeds (3M/MDL funds applied to debt reduction) to free capital for the extensions; design work will begin and construction is likely late this year or next.
Why it matters: the water-main work provides a long-term, public-water remedy for many affected properties and is a critical alternative to long-term POET reliance where feasible. The agreement shifts responsibility for larger buildout costs to the company and leverages state and local funding sources to reduce up-front costs for municipal utilities.
Next steps: design work will begin with DEES and company coordination; DEES said work in the consent-decree areas will proceed while the company and town finalize schedules and contracts.
