East Windsor WPCA Asks Permission to Extend Sewer Project

The East Windsor Board of Selectmen is endorsing a proposal to take about $700,000 in savings to extend the North Road Sewer Project as much as 1,500 feet.

Edward Alibozek, chief operator for the water pollution control authority, told the board Tuesday that the project is under budget. The town is being reimbursed for the cost of the $3.887 million project through a federal grant.

“We have to spend all of the loan before we can get the grant reimbursement,” Alibozek said.

E. Arthur Enderle III, WPCA superintendent, said as the project was being planned, it was believed that a lot of water was beneath the surface. Plans were made to provide sheeting when trenches were being dug to prevent cave-ins while the sewers were being installed.

Enderle said as the project continued it was determined that the sheeting wasn’t needed and that has meant estimated savings of $700,000.

“Conditions were way better than what we anticipated,” Enderle said. “When minor things have come up we handled them in the field.”

The project was originally designed to stop ay Mullen Road, but officials now believe they can apply the cost savings to extending the sewers about 1,000 feet east to Wells Road and possibly to 1,500 feet, Enderle said.

“We always talked about doing North Road in phases,” Enderle said.

Jay Ussery, senior project manager for J.R. Russo and Associates, said the extension would cost roughly $300 a lineal foot. Ussery said if the all of the grant money is not used by the town it would  be rerouted by the federal government.

“We are not asking you to give us more money,” Ussery said. We’re asking permission to use more of the money we have and extend the project.”

Paul Anderson, chairman of the WPCA, said since the project began people who were against it, have changed their minds. There are people with faulty septic systems who want the sewer to be extended their homes, Anderson said.

There is also land along North Road that can’t be built on because of the conditions of the soil, the North Central Health District won’t homes built, Anderson said.
“The farther we’re able to go the less it will cost in the future,”  Anderson said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, oversees the grant money and has encouraged the town to put together another proposal and to apply for another grant, Anderson said.

Town Planner Laurie Whitten said the economic development commission is supporting the town’s National Graphic’s photos..

The board of finance is expected to discuss this item at its meeting tonight in town hall, officials said.