Planning is underway for a $5.5 million water system the Town of Berlin is planning for Berlin Corners. The system will supply drinking water and fire protection to customers, but first enough households and businesses need to sign up for the system to be built.
The town has sent out a letter to potential water customers asking them to sign up, and saying the system won't be built until enough customers indicate interest in buying water. If enough customers sign up now, the system could be functioning this time next year.
The Town is proceeding rapidly with design of the system and has obtained funding; however construction will not begin until there are a sufficient number of customers. It is the Town's goal to have sufficient commitments in place, final design complete, and all permits/approvals in place to place the project out for construction bids in late February or early March, 2014. With that goal, construction will be complete by the Fall of 2014 and Berlin will finally have a functioning water system!
The water system would provide potable water and fire protection to the plateau that encompasses the fire department, the elementary school, Berlin Mall, a shopping plaza, Carroll Concrete, and the new state hospital proposed for the corner of Fisher Road and Paine Turnpike. Central Vermont Medical Center purchases its water from the city of Montpelier and would not be a customer of the new water system.
The Berlin Select Board will be answering questions about the Berlin Corners water project at a public meeting at 6 p.m. tonight, October 30, at the Berlin Elementary School.
