The Municipal Council of Amesbury, Mass., recently approved requests by the city’s mayor to borrow $15 million to upgrade the water treatment plant and $5,076,000 to improve the water distribution system, the Boston Globe reported.
The state has approved Amesbury to receive 2% loans from a state revolving fund that provides low-interest loans for local water projects. Revenue from water bills will cover the project debt, costing a typical home $143 annually, based on an estimated usage of 53,000 gal, the newspaper reported.
"The upgrade of our water treatment plant is an important investment in the community," Mayor Thatcher W. Kezer III said in a prepared statement. "It allows us to stay compliant with regulations for clean water and ensures we have the capacity to meet our future water needs."
"We've spent a lot of time laying the groundwork for this, and it's good to be moving forward," Public Works Director Robert Desmarais said.
Source: Boston Globe