Waitsfield’s municipal wastewater system has received another tranche of state American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding through the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
This new funding comes as the town’s wastewater planning task force continues to advance the final design of the project and seek additional state and federal funding.
The $15 million project will bring municipal wastewater to Waitsfield village and Irasville with treatment taking place at the Munn field.
Waitsfield’s planning and zoning administrator JB Weir received word this week from the state that the town would be receiving $1 million in funding that had previously been allocated as ARPA funds to the town of Greensboro. The state needs to spend its ARPA funds by December 2026 and Vermont has been clawing back funds from infrastructure projects that are not progressing at a pace that would allow this to happen.
COMMITTED FUNDS
In addition to this most recent funding, the town has applied for $1 million from the Northern Border Regional Commission’s Catalyst program and another $1 million from the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP). The VCDP program does have a 10% local match, which Waitsfield town administrator York Haverkamp said would be covered under other committed funds.
Specifically, he detailed that the matching funds would come from in-kind contributions of town staff time, some of Waitsfield’s ARPA funds and other small miscellaneous funds.
Concurrently, the town is working with the United States Department of Agriculture on a grant and loan package.
Last summer the town received $2.5 million from the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and all of the planning, engineering and testing costs have been covered by grants to date.
Final design and engineering for the project are at 60% and will reach 100% by the end of 2025. Over the winter, testing was underway at the disposal site at the Munn field. At an April 4 public hearing on the application to the Vermont Community Development Program, select board member and wastewater task force member Chach Curtis.
LOADING TESTS
Curtis told those at the April 4 meeting that wastewater loading tests at the minefield site confirmed favorable results with no surprises. Thresholds for nitrogen and phosphorus levels have been provided by the Agency of Natural Resources, he said.
As funding becomes available and more grants and loans are identified, the town will begin working on the disposal field, getting it ready to accept, treat and dispose of wastewater. The system will provide tertiary treatment for up to 94,040 gallons a day.
TERTIARY TREATMENT
Haverkamp said that laying infrastructure, the conveyance pipes, collection system, holding tanks would start at Fiddler’s Green, then move into Irasville, extending down Route 100 to Waitsfield Village and north.
“We’re feeling hopeful and optimistic about the outcome, especially given the momentum behind the grants we’ve been applying for. We truly believe this project, strongly supported by the public, will have a transformative impact on both the town and the greater Mad River Valley, Haverkamp said.
Another Valley-wide project currently in the planning phase may dovetail with at least some of the work on Waitsfield wastewater project. At the April 4 hearing Mad River Valley Planning District executive director and wastewater task force lead Joshua Schwartz explained that it may be possible to co-locate a multi-town active transportation corridor with the conveyance pipes for the Waitsfield project. That multi-town project has been proposed by the Mad River Path.
The Waitsfield Select Board will receive an update on the project on May 5, Haverkamp said.
