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Eliot Water Pipes Slated for Replacement

Leaky water pipes serving the Jared Eliot Middle School will need to be replaced, but with an estimated replacement cost of $350,000, the work may be spread over three years rather than undertaken all at once.

Superintendent of Schools Maryann O’Donnell was first alerted to the problem earlier this year, when the Connecticut Water Company noted excessive use of water. The leak was found in the spring and repairs were made over the summer, but due to the pipes’ rust and age, there was difficulty with the repairs. O’Donnell believes the pipes are original to the building.

“We are concerned about additional leaks in the pipes due to the age and condition. Water bills are greatly increased and flow to the building could be impacted. If that happens, it could impact the ability for the school to stay open and in session,” O’Donnell said.

A more permanent fix will be to replace rather than repair the lines. Due to the cost, the town will need to decide how to fund the work and how to tackle the project. O’Donnell presented the need to the Capital Expenditure Committee (CEC) for review in November.

“We proposed to do the work in sections over three years, as the cost is high. The initial feedback from [CEC Chair Miner] Vincent and the Capital Expenditure Committee...was that they would consider funding the money so that the entire project could be done in the summer of 2018,” O’Donnell said. “We broke the request over three years in our capital proposal. The money would come through CEC funding, or potentially through bonding if the Board of Finance decided to fund it that way.”

The Board of Education submitted to the CEC its 10-year plan, which included the plan to fix the pipes. Vincent said that there are three separate areas of the pipes that need to be addressed.

“The options are to do the pipes over the course of three years, or all at once,” Vincent said.

Vincent said “there is no immediate danger” from the pipes’ condition, and noted that completing one section of pipe this year would cost $150,000.

Vincent said that the CEC would discuss the issue again, and review the different time frames for the completion of the project.

“I’d say the minimum is that one section of the pipes gets done this summer,” Vincent said.

After the CEC discusses the issue again, Vincent said the issue would go to the Board of Selectmen, and then to the Board of Finance for final authorization.