Problems lie with taps and an old piping system.
By Terry Karkos
Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – Officials got some good news last week about the town’s water system.

Acting Public Works Director Tim Hanson said that according to an inspector from the Maine Rural Water Association, the day-to-day operations of Dixfield’s water system “is fine,” even though there are currently no water operators with Class II licenses.

“They spent nine hours here last Tuesday, and they found no serious conditions,” Hanson said Friday. “They said we had made a marked improvement over last month.”

The town’s Water Department does have two Class I licensed water operators, but according to the state, it must have two Class II licensed operators due to the size of the system.

Three Public Works and Water Department employees – Randy Glover, Darlene Brann, Terry Frost and Hanson – are to take the test for a Class II license in April. Until then, Hanson said town officials would be working under the supervision of Tom Holt, superintendent of the Farmington Water District.

“We are providing quality water from the plant, but we know that people have brown water. We know that problems exist, but who’s going to pay for fixing them?” Hanson asked.

He was referring to the town’s antiquated piping infrastructure – 12.88 miles of piping, the majority of which is 1-inch and 2-inch water lines. Old taps are another problem.

“Ninety percent of the homes in our town are 50 years old,” he added.

An engineering study expected to be completed this spring revealed that 11,890 feet of pipes on 19 streets must be replaced with 8-inch water main line.

In 1994, Dixfield overhauled its water system, which it acquired in 1979, taking on $3.2 million in debt.

The project – getting two new gravel-packed wells and a new reservoir – was completed in 1998.

The next step involves spending $1.03 million more based on January 2004 dollars.

Dixfield doesn’t have that kind of money, and neither does the town’s 600 water system customers.

Sixty percent of each monthly water bill goes toward paying down the hefty debt incurred by the 1994 system overhaul, Hanson said.

But, once the study is completed, town officials can apply for Community Development Block Grant assistance, and Hanson hopes, start resolving water coloration, lead and copper problems by replacing the old pipes.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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