Select Board approves reserve-funded water and sewer equipment purchases

The North Haven Select Board approved two reserve-funded equipment purchases on March 4, 2026, moving forward with replacement units for long-deferred water and sewer infrastructure.

The board voted to authorize the Water Department to purchase ozone generators from reserve funds; the amount shown in the meeting packet and read aloud in the meeting transcript was recorded as “$127,82.35” (transcript formatting unclear). Board members and staff said the current generators are obsolete, that replacement parts are no longer available and that operators have been cannibalizing old units to keep them running. Discussion also covered vendor travel and lodging (the vendor is out of state), installation time and whether the new units offer remote monitoring that could reduce ongoing personnel time and therefore save money.

Separately, the board voted to buy three metering/chemical pumps for the sewer treatment site at a total cost of $7,612, to be paid from the sewer reserve. Members described the pumps as aging and prone to repeated repairs; staff said these replacements are needed ahead of a planned larger sewer project and that the pumps likely would not carry over into full construction of the long-term upgrade.

Board members asked staff to include public-facing notices to ratepayers explaining upcoming work and any rate impacts. Officials also noted the town’s long-range capital plan for sewer work and a plan to seek grant funding and to sequence purchases to avoid depleting reserves faster than necessary. The board approved both purchases by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the minutes.