Massena village trustees approve next phase of waterline project

BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

MASSENA — Village trustees have approved the next phase of work to potentially install a new waterline that will cross over the Raquette River via the South Main Street Bridge.

During the Village Board’s Sept. 20 meeting, officials approved a bid for Wright-Pierce Engineering Firm to design the project.

Officials say the efforts to hang the waterline from the bridge will allow them to do away with an existing waterline that runs under the river and has proven to be problematic for some time.

The existing water line, which was installed after years of denials by the Department of Transportation, had a leak as recently as July.

According to Department of Public Works Superintendent Marty Miller, 60,000 to 100,000 gallons of treated water leaked every day.

A temporary line was installed while divers identified the issue and repaired it, a matter that took over a week to resolve.

Officials have once again revisited the matter with the NYSDOT, who must approve the project because the line will be hung on a state controlled bridge.

Miller had previously emailed the Region 7 engineer for the NYSDOT for guidance, with Mayor Greg Paquin also taking action by sending a letter to the NYSDOT requesting approval of the project.

Miller said two bids were received for the project but he felt accepting the bid from Wright-Pierce was the best choice.

“They have experience doing this, they’ve done projects like this before and their design was more to my liking,” Miller said.

The design bid from Wright-Pierce came in around $10,000 more than the other bid, however Miller said he felt it was in the best interests of the village to opt for the more experienced firm.

“The other design didn’t have appropriate insulation, which could lead to the main freezing in the winter. The hangers and design were also a little different, whereas the one from Wright-Pierce was exactly what we are looking for,” Miller told the board.

Officials approved the bid unanimously, saying they wanted to ensure the project design will ensure the new line will function as expected.

“We don’t need any surprises in the middle of winter,” Trustee Francis Carvel said.

If completed, the project will likely save the village thousands of dollars compared to replacing the existing, underwater water line, officials previously said.