Milton council sets Dec. 4 for hearing on water borrowing

November 28, 2023 2

Milton Town Council will hold a public hearing Monday, Dec. 4 on borrowing more than $6 million in state funds for three water infrastructure projects.

Following that public hearing, council will set a public referendum, letting voters have the final word.

The big ticket of the three projects is a 500,000-gallon water tower on town-owned land next to the Rails to Trails on Federal Street. The town has already gotten preliminary approval from the state’s Water Infrastructure Advisory Council to borrow $3.8 million to build the tower, which town officials say will provide additional storage to meet daily demand and serve as a backup if the town’s other two towers are out of service for maintenance or repair. Town officials view the tower as a way to improve existing service and prepare for future development.

The second of the three projects is a $1.78 million water main replacement project that would replace 3,900 linear feet of existing mains underneath Carey, Walnut, Magnolia, Reed and Mill streets. The project would include replacing valves, abandoning the existing main and repaving the roadway. At Walnut and Mill streets, the town would upgrade to an 8-inch main, while at Carey Street, the upgrade would be from a 2-inch main to a 6-inch main.

Finally, the town would use a $579,000 loan for improvements to the Chandler Street water treatment facility. The project would include upgrading the plant’s electric system, generator, chemical feeds and testing equipment, and leveling the concrete floor. This project has been in the works for years; it was first discussed in 2019 with plans to do it in 2020, but the town held off until a similar water treatment plant was built at Shipbuilder’s Village, as town officials wanted to use the same specs on Chandler Street.

Terms of all three loans are for 20 years at a 2% interest rate, with interest-only payments during construction.

The town purchased 4 acres of land on Federal Street in 2019 with the intention of using it for future water infrastructure projects, including the water tower. The first of those projects, a new well, was unanimously awarded to contractor AC Schultes of Delaware. The well project is being funded via $1.6 million in federal American Rescue Plan grants. The town is also planning to build a new water treatment facility at the site.