FARMINGTON — Repairs for an underground pipe connection on on Front Street could cost the town an estimated $20,000, Town Manager Richard Davis told the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday.

On Aug. 13, a large hole opened up in the road across from the former earmuff factory now occupied by the My Crop Paper and Scissors store. Town crews have filled the hole with three loads of gravel and Denis Castonguay, director of the town’s Public Works Department, hired the Ted Berry Co. to run a camera line through the underground pipes to find the cause, he said.

So much rain this summer in short periods have caused the water to come up fast. Gravel had washed down through the line causing problems with a connecting pipe that runs under the earmuff factory building. It failed pulling gravel down through and opening the hole, he said.

Now that the problem has been identified, the fix is simple but fairly costly because it is deep and will require excavation, materials and paving, he said. The estimate includes a process that would seal leaks and cracks along the pipeline that runs down into the Better Living Center parking lot and eventually to the river.

There is no money in the budget this year for the repairs, but as the fall progresses and the rains stop, Davis suggested getting through the winter and budgeting for the repair next year.

Selectmen Dennis Pike suggested checking into whether the project was eligible for mitigation funds from the Maine Emergency Management Agency. Castonguay is going to check to see if this project is eligible.

The funds are used to address road issues caused by flooding, Davis said Wednesday.

If funds are available, a 25 percent share from the town, or about $5,000 is needed. Although the town might be able to cover that this year, Davis suggested the board may want to wait to complete the whole project at once including sealing the line.

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