Keene's Water District #2 Improvement Project underway

KEENE VALLEY | The town is moving forward with its Water District #2 Improvement Project, which includes the construction of a new well, the decommissioning of the two existing wells, building upgrades, and additional improvements. The two existing wells, located on Keene Central School grounds on Trail End Road and dating back to the 1990s, have ceased producing sufficient water for their approximately 230 connections, which include both residential and commercial properties. A new well was drilled down the road in 2019, which kickstarted the project. "Ever since then, we've just been relying on that one well," Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson said. "We've been operating without backup, and you're required to have a backup, according to the Department of Health." Plans are in place to drill either another 12-inch or 16-inch well nearby. To save funds, town employees have already completed some of the preliminary work themselves, including clearing the site of the new well and building a gravel pad. The next goal is to replace the existing control panel, which is no longer operational due to a storm earlier this month. "The tank is still running, but now, we have to run it manually," said Water Superintendent Savana Li. "It's also around 25 years old, so it's very much outdated." Other upgrades include installing fencing to enhance security, adding water meters, and updating the water treatment building, which was damaged after a tree fell on it last year. To complete everything, the town anticipates the total cost to be around $5 million. "It's costly," Wilson said. "And we've been trying to handle everything ourselves without trying to rely solely on grant money because it slows down the process even more." The town has requested funds through the Northern Border Regional Commission, a federal-state partnership that provides grant funding for economic and community development in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, a financial assistance program that provides low-interest loans to public water systems for infrastructure improvements. "They both require matching funds," Wilson continued. "But a bigger project is going to have only a marginal increase to the rate payers because of the formula they use for reimbursement." The rate increase will depend on which parts of the project the town decides to complete. "There's a lot more that needs to be done, but I don't know if we'll be able to do the entire project because of the cost to the users," Li added. "We already have the most expensive rates in all of Essex County." The Town of Keene has two water districts, one serving Keene and the other serving Keene Valley. Each resident within these two districts is assessed a flat rate for the calendar year. Residents within Water District #2 are billed $710 per year for water; commercial properties are charged $1,420; and high-traffic properties, such as the school and Keene Valley Neighborhood House, are required to pay $1,685 per year. Properties with extensions, such as a garage, apartment, or shop, are charged an extra $408 per year. An additional debt service charge of $237 is added to all bills to help cover the cost of infrastructure improvements. "As costs increase, that shakes up our priority list and how much we can do before impacting the rates too much," Wilson said. "We're going to figure out where to draw the line and then stop." Town officials are currently finalizing the priority list. Afterwards, it will be submitted to both funding agencies for approval. If the project receives the green light to proceed further, the town can then go out to bid for drilling. The goal is to start drilling by winter 2026 and have the new well online by fall that same year.

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Keene's Water District #2 Improvement Project underway

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