Board OKs $38,000 for water-line design

Town sees big savings in having DPW do waste-pipe installation

BRATTLEBORO — The Selectboard unanimously voted to authorize a $38,000 contract for the design of a waste process water line.

This final design work, conducted by the Dufresne Group, will provide the town with blueprints for connecting the Pleasant Valley Water Treatment Facility to the sanitary sewer system.

The project involves laying 3,640 feet of 8-inch pipe.

Department of Public Works Director Steve Barrett said he and his staff began the process a year ago.

They have already completed the preliminary work for the project, including conducting wetlands studies and environmental checks.

If they can get the necessary permits in time, they expect to complete the work by the end of this construction season.

“It seems fairly straightforward, and that's what we're hoping for,” Barrett said.

Town Manager Peter B. Elwell noted that the original estimated cost for the project, which called for contracting out the installation, was over $1 million.

DPW staff is saving the town hundreds of thousands of dollars by installing the line themselves, Elwell said, and because of their familiarity with the system and the roads, “they can do a more careful job.”

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