BETHEL – At an emergency meeting Sunday night, the Bethel Water District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to replace the main that delivers water to about 500 village customers.
Josiah Drummond, water district trustee, said Monday the decision was made after two attempts to repair the cast iron main failed on Thursday and Saturday.
Cost for the main’s replacement is estimated at about $200,000, Drummond said. He said the trustees are seeking state and federal grant money for the project, and expect to go out to bid sometime next week.
“This is very unexpected,” he said.
It is unknown if replacement of the main, which was built in 1889 and sits on the bottom of the Androscoggin River, will prompt an increase in water rates.
He said repairs were attempted to fix the leak with lead, then again with clamps when divers were at the site last week.
Customers never lost water, he said, although they were and continue to be asked not to use water for washing cars or for watering gardens or lawns.
Right now, customers are receiving water through twin fire hoses installed by several area fire departments. About 115 gallons a minute are flowing through the hoses, Drummond said. The area’s fire departments put the temporary hoses together in a couple of hours last Sunday night.
Also, the district’s holding tank has water available, he said.
“We’ve all been very appreciative of our customers,” he said.
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