After years of planning and a successful referendum, the water main extension project to Mulberry Point, Tuttles Point, and Long Cove is continuing to move forward. At a recent Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, the board discussed project updates and approved a financing resolution.

The water main extension project was approved at referendum on May 31 with 1,004 “Yes” votes to 122 “No” votes. The water main extension is expected to stretch over 2.4 miles and cost approximately $3.4 million, servicing 145 homes in Mulberry Point, Tuttles Point, and Long Cove. Prior to the referendum, the town announced that, of the 145 homes in the area that could be served by the water main, 83 percent of residents signed formal commitment letters to connect with the main, well exceeding the necessary commitment level and pushing the project forward.

Water contamination has been a longstanding issue for some residents in the coastal area. A January 2016 study of water samples collected in the area revealed approximately 74 percent of the 29 wells tested are contaminated with salt water substances and pollutants from septic systems including nitrates, bacteria, sodium, and chloride, according to Health Director Dennis Johnson.

The BOS on Sept. 18 voted in favor of providing the finance director and the first selectman with the authority to go out to bond on the project, a designation that is a common procedural step after a successful referendum. First Selectman Joe Mazza pointed out that, while the entire project itself would not be bonded, the Sept. 18 resolution allows the town to bond for short-term soft costs, such as water testing studies done prior to the referendum, before full funding for the project is received by the town. Residents in the service area will pay all expenses for the project, including initial soft costs.

In January, the town signed a service agreement with the Connecticut Water Company (CWC) that outlined the financial rate of contribution from CWC. The rate of contribution from CWC is dependent upon the percentage of the 145 homeowners in the area who commit to the project. With an 83 percent commitment rate demonstrated by residents who sent the water company signed commitment letters and financial deposits, CWC will contribute $1.5 million.

After CWC’s contribution, the remaining cost of the project, $1.9 million, will not be distributed town-wide, but will be distributed among homeowners who are direct beneficiaries of the water main extension. The town has applied for Drinking Water Revolving Funds, a low-interest loan from the State of Connecticut that in 2012 became available for the project, contingent upon a successful referendum. With the 83 percent contribution rate, Attorney Norb Church said residents will likely be assessed for approximately $13,161, which can be paid back over 20 years at a two percent interest rate.

As to where the project sits now, Mazza said the town is waiting on final approvals from the state before moving forward.

“We are waiting for PURA, which is the state agency, to approve the whole project with the water company, so it is in the water company’s hands now to get approval,” he said. “Until we get that approval, we can’t put any shovels in the ground. As far as the project itself, Wright-Pierce, the contractor that the town hired and we all approved at bid, is designing the project at this point.”