WILTON — Farmington Village Corporation representatives proposed the idea of the corporation becoming a customer of Wilton Water Department to selectmen Tuesday. It was their newest solution to handle potential water emergencies on the Route 2 corridor near the hospital.

Selectmen Scott Taylor, Tom Saviello and Paul Berkey Jr. were receptive to helping, especially the hospital, but they wanted their questions answered first. The board will meet again with Farmington Village Corp at a later date.

Farmington and Wilton water lines dead-end near the town line on Route 2, leaving the potential for customers in the high-growth area without water if a break occurs before it branches off, James Andrews of the corporation told the board. Some provide essential services, such as the hospital and a nursing home, he said.

It’s an issue the corporation has considered for some time. In 2008, they came before the board, suggesting an interconnection of lines between Farmington and Wilton, each having a valve to open if there was a problem on either side, he said.

At that time, selectmen were concerned with the cost and water supply.

The corporation’s most recent idea is for the Farmington Water Department to become a paying customer of the Wilton Water Department, only using water when a break occurred in that vicinity.

There have only been two breaks in that line in the last 30 years, and both were quickly fixed, corporation Superintendent Tom Holt said.

“We’re still open to interconnection,” Andrews said. “But we’re throwing this out as an alternative to open discussion and get an idea how you feel.”

Saviello questioned whether an agreement meant Wilton would have to set aside a certain amount of the town’s water to have on hand in case it’s needed. In essence, “supplying for you and taking away from ourselves,” he said.

“The call is only a heartbeat away,” Clayton Putnam, superintendent of Wilton Water Department said of the need to have water contained and ready if Farmington calls for it.

Wilton renewed a five-year contract to supply water for North Jay last year, so Putnam was hesitant to make a commitment.

Andrews assured the board it would only be on an emergency basis, an amount less than 50,000 gallons a day for probably no more than 24 hours.

Selectman Taylor inquired about the logistics of keeping a rarely active line functioning with clean water for the hospital and whether there was any potential liability.

The line between the two departments would be the only nonactive section. It would be subject to the usual flushing program twice a year, Holt said.

Even if a boil-water order was needed, “the hospital would rather have bad water than no water,” he said.

Franklin Memorial Hospital does have a contingency plan for such an emergency, but the plan only covers the first and second floors, not the third.

Saviello wanted to know more about the hospital plan.

Although providing water for Farmington could produce extra income if the water is turned on, Putnam questioned how the water could be prevented from coming back into Wilton’s lines, as well as other engineering aspects.

Board members encouraged the corporation representatives to seek the answers and return.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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