Farmington board authorizes $14.7 million bond resolution to upgrade wastewater plant

The Town of Farmington Town Board voted July 14 to approve a resolution authorizing proposed improvements to the Farmington Sewer District wastewater treatment plant and a supplemental bond authorization to finance the work.

The board approved the measure by roll call, with Supervisor Halesby, Councilman DelFoyle, Councilman Herringey, Councilman Bowerman and Councilman LaFoyle recorded as voting Aye. The project described in the town engineer’s report lists replacement of failing sand filters, rehabilitation of multiple clarifiers, upgrades at three pump stations and other ancillary work with an estimated cost of $14,700,000.

Engineers and plant staff told the board the filters are already being bypassed and that the town is under a DEC consent order requiring repairs. As the engineer put it during the presentation: “the filters are now being bypassed. They have failed, and it's a pretty imminent project to get those filters replaced.” Town staff said some clarifiers are currently offline; operations staff expect to rehabilitate one clarifier in‑house with a target to return it to service by October.

Officials said the amount reflects a comprehensive package intended to make the town competitive for state and federal grants; however, construction would likely not begin until late 2027 or 2028 when existing bond debt is paid down. The engineer told the board that if grant awards or bids come in lower the town can scale the project, noting “we may only hit one grant instead of two, then the actual bid will either include less items or include a list separated so the contractors… give us a price on the itemized list, and then we could pick or choose.”

The board and staff said the town will pursue multiple funding sources — including WIFIA, state water quality grants and EFC financing — and that the bond authorization is needed to submit grant applications. The resolution requires standard next steps: finalize engineering documents, submit grant applications and, if grant funding is insufficient, proceed with the bond sale to cover the remaining work.

Procedurally, the town clerk had read a public‑notice version of the engineering report and invited comments earlier in the meeting; additional public comment and a related public hearing will occur on July 26 at 7 p.m. at Farmington Town Hall. With the approval complete, staff and the engineer will proceed with grant applications, bid preparation and financing work.

Funding and timelines remain subject to grant awards and bid results; the board said it will prioritize items if the full package is not fully funded.