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Burrillville council approves $100,000 to advance $1 million grant-funded Masonville water design
Summary
Council voted to authorize an engineering design contract and appropriate $100,000 from capital funds to move forward with a $1 million grant-funded project to design Masonville/Nasonville water supply, after consultants outlined source options, modeling needs and estimated costs.
The Burrillville Town Council voted Sept. 24 to authorize an engineering design contract for a proposed Masonville/Nasonville water supply and distribution system and to appropriate $100,000 from the town's major capital fund to cover early project expenses pending reimbursement from a Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank grant.
Consultants told the council the town was awarded a $1,000,000 grant under the state's emerging contaminants program to cover engineering and permitting. "The town was awarded a $1,000,000 grant," said Bob Ferrari of Northeast Water Solutions. He and staff described a scope that includes hydraulic modeling, wetlands and subsurface investigations, three river crossings and multiple state-level permits. The consultant said the preliminary engineering portion is a fixed price while later phases are presented as a range until preliminary design confirms quantities and alignments.
Council and consultants discussed possible supply options, including an existing small public system (the Tarkon Brook well field) and a previously developed well field that had been unused. The consultant said one tested well has an effective yield of at least 1,000,000 gallons per day but is located outside Burrillville in North Smithfield; build-out demand estimates over 20 years were described as roughly 400,000 gallons per day (average day ~260,000 gpd), with near-term needs of about 50,000'to'70,000 gpd depending on phasing.
The council motion (as read at the meeting) authorized the town manager to execute the engineering agreement as submitted and to appropriate $100,000 from Major Capital Fund #3800-20 for project-related expenses, with the intent to be reimbursed by the Infrastructure Bank grant. The motion was made and seconded and approved by voice vote; a roll-call tally was not recorded in the minutes provided.
The consultants and staff emphasized community outreach as a significant budget line and added that the final design could include full-house connections (to the dwelling) rather than just curb stops to give residents clearer cost estimates for actual hookups. The council directed staff to finalize contract documents and proceed with the next steps in permitting and outreach.
