WILTON — Replacement of the water transmission line from Varnum Pond on Weld Road, the town’s drinking water source, to the water treatment plant off Pratt Street is nearly 40% complete and on schedule, according to Jim Lord of Dirigo Engineers.

The $7.8 million project, awarded in April to Pratt & Sons of Minot, is about 37% complete, according to the schedule outlined on the town’s website. Work on Weld and Colby Miller roads began in the spring, with Doak Street work expected later in the year.

Since April, the contractor has installed about 9,000 feet of water main along Weld Road, Colby Miller Road and Orchard Drive. About 8,000 feet of that pipe has passed testing.

“They were successful at directional drilling under Varnum Stream without disturbing the stream, which was fantastic,” Lord said Oct. 7. “The contractor has also placed more than 1,000 tons of pavement and connected 15 services along Weld Road.”

Lord said the water main on Colby Miller Road is complete and only hydrant connections remain in unpaved areas; paving and final touches are being handled by the town crew.

In addition, crews have installed roughly 2,800 feet of main along the utility corridor from Varnum Stream to the treatment plant.

To date, they have earned nearly $2.9 million of the contract, about 37% of the total.

For the remainder of 2025, the plan is to finish installing pipe on Orchard Drive down to Varnum Stream. After that, the main from Doak Street to the treatment plant will be complete, though not yet fully active. Temporary connections will be made along Colby Miller Road and Doak Streets, allowing the old cross-country line from Colby Miller Road to Doak Street to be abandoned prior to this winter.

Lord said the team also hopes to complete the first 2,500 feet of raw water main from the treatment plant north this year, pending a detailed schedule update from Pratt & Sons.

In 2026, the project is to include installing new pumps at the water treatment plant, finishing the Doak Street control valve building, completing the raw water intake and pipeline, and fully connecting the Applegate neighborhood to the new system. The booster pump station in Applegate will then be removed.

Because some work will require access to private property and may disrupt traffic, Lord said the town plans to hold a meeting with Applegate residents ahead of construction to present the contractor’s work plan and answer questions.

“From my perspective as an engineer, this project has gone really well,” Lord told the board, noting there have been no change orders requested. He praised the contractor’s cooperation.

Town Manager Maria Greeley said she could not commit to an exact paving schedule but expected Spencer Paving to arrive within one to two weeks. She thanked Dirigo Engineers and Pratt & Sons for their responsiveness during a summer.

“I appreciate what Dirigo has done,” Greeley said. “You … have been very responsive in getting information to and from Pratt & Sons, especially without a superintendent this summer.”