DIXFIELD – Selectmen will meet at T.W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School at 4:30 p.m. Monday, March 22, rather than the town library community room.

The change is designed to enable many of the town’s 600 water system users to attend a public hearing on a more than $1 million upgrade of the distribution system.

“Our water system capital improvement engineer, Bill Dawson, will be answering questions about his proposed priority suggestions for upgrading Dixfield’s water system, which, as everybody knows, has troubles on the distribution side of things,” said acting Public Works Director Tim Hanson.

“The water we make is as good as anyone’s, but the trouble is in the very old piping system throughout much of the town,” he added.

At a board meeting in January, selectmen learned that it would cost an estimated $1.3 million to complete remaining infrastructure work.

In 1994, the town did a major overhaul of its water system, which it acquired in 1979, taking on $3.2 million in debt.

That project – getting two new gravel-packed wells and a new reservoir – was completed in 1998. A lack of money stalled completion of the job.

Dixfield has 12.88 miles of piping, the majority of which is 1- and 2-inch lines.

According to Dawson, more than 11,890 feet of pipes on 19 streets needs to be replaced with 8-inch water main line. That project is estimated to cost $914,745.

Another $95,000 would cover necessary improvements at the well site.

“We hope that as many of the 600 water users as is possible will show up. Eventually, these 600 water users will have to decide what and when they want the rest of the system upgraded,” Hanson said.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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