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Waterford board approves utility appropriations for sewer access and tank management
Summary
At a July 1 special meeting, the Waterford Board of Selectmen approved two appropriations requested by Utilities Director Jill Stevens: $100,000 for cross‑country sewer‑main access and $45,671 for water tank management, after questioning about easement clearing, inspection methods and long‑term maintenance.
The Waterford Board of Selectmen approved appropriations for two utilities projects after questioning from members about inspections, maintenance and long‑term costs.
Utilities Director Jill Stevens asked the board to appropriate $100,000 to line 20531‑57894 to clear cross‑country sewer main easements and allow access for inspections and repairs. Stevens said clearing overgrown easements would let the department use rented brush‑hog equipment and in‑house crews to maintain the corridors going forward: "We want to get these cleaned up and cleared so that we can use our brush hogs and other tools on our own to be able to keep them open moving forward," she said. Board members asked about the rental schedule and maintenance frequency; Stevens said the crew rents the brush hog about a month each year and would add days or a week to reach newly cleared easements.
The board also approved a $45,671 appropriation to line 20531‑57026 for water tank management. Stevens described the town’s practice of hiring water‑tank specialists (she cited Core Tech as an example) to perform destructive testing on coatings and to assess steel thickness before deciding between recoating and replacement. She said the interior and exterior recoating work was previously paid with ARPA funds and that the tank‑management program maintains that investment: "They make sure that the coating is in good condition," Stevens said, calling the program a form of insurance for the tank.
Members pressed for technical detail. One selectman asked whether coatings touching potable water are approved; Stevens replied they are "DPH‑accepted" polymer coatings approved by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The discussion also noted that coatings and recoat cycles help avoid larger capital replacements such as the much more expensive Rogers Hill tank rehab.
Both appropriation requests were moved, seconded and voted on during the meeting. The board’s questions focused on balancing near‑term capital expense with preventive maintenance to protect prior ARPA investments and extend asset life.
