Milton council approves water main bid

Milton Town Council unanimously approved a bid by Zack Excavating of Smyrna to build a water main extension into Wagamon’s West Shores.

Zack’s bid was $425,000, higher than the anticipated $395,000, but close enough that town officials decided to move forward. Voters approved $395,000 at a July referendum.

Councilman Sam Garde said the difference will be made up by taking $53,000 from the town treasury. Councilman Michael Cote said the town would be using funds from the town’s water impact fee account, a separate account used to fund water improvements.

The town received bids in January, but those bids, Mayor Ted Kanakos said, were “astronomical.” Bids continued to be accepted and Zack’s was the lowest responsive bid. The town’s engineer, Pennoni Associates, and Town Manager Kristy Rogers, recommended council accept it.

Plans call for a new water main connection to be built from Federal Street to Wagamon’s West Shores, installing 1,600 linear feet of 10-inch pipe. The new connection would create a loop that town officials said would improve water flow throughout the town and prevent service interruptions in the Wagamon’s development should there be a break.

Combined with the $500,000 well and treatment project at Shipbuilder’s Village, the water main project was overwhelmingly approved at referendum, 493-38. Voters approved a 20-year loan from the state Water Infrastructure Advisory Council at 2 percent interest.

Work on the project is expected to coincide with installation of the Rails to Trails extension from Federal Street to Lavinia Street.