DIXFIELD – Selectmen unanimously agreed Monday night to contract with the Mexico Water District for $38,000 a year.
Now, the Mexico water trustees must approve the agreement at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Dixfield selectmen’s Chairman Tony Carter said the first of its kind cooperative agreement will not only save the town money, but also serve as another step toward regionalization.
“No way in today’s economy can towns continue as they have,” he said after the meeting.
Dixfield will continue to bill water customers at an annual cost of $12,000. But the town will see savings of just over $16,000 per year with the agreement. The most recent yearly cost for operating the Dixfield water department came in at $66,313.
The contract calls for the Mexico Water District to make daily rounds and plant checks, submit all required state testing, maintain records, read meters, maintain the hydrants, valve boxes and valves, and provide snowplowing and lawn mowing at the water plant and reservoir.
The town of Dixfield is responsible for billing and accounting, and the purchase of chemicals, supplies and equipment.
The agreement goes into effect on March 23.
Anne Young, administrator of the Mexico Water District, said after the meeting that her department will likely have to hire a third water operator as a result of the agreement.
“Operating another water system gives us a chance to learn how another system works,” she said.
The chance for Dixfield to try an alternative way to operate its water system was prompted by the resignation of water operator, Duane Powers, who left for a similar position last week. At last week’s selectmen’s meeting, the board appointed Mexico water operator Jim White as interim operator of the Dixfield Water Department.
This is the second effort by the two towns to try regionalizing services. The two towns shared one town manager for more than six months before Dixfield decided that although daily tasks could be taken care of under such an arrangement, long-term planning could not.
Dixfield selectmen and Mexico Water District trustees agreed to review the arrangement after 60 days.
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