East Providence seems poised to accept BCWA connection proposal

Project would be fully funded by neighboring group

By Mike Rego
Posted 4/25/19

EAST PROVIDENCE — A proposal brought forth last month at a workshop by the Bristol Country Water Authority to the city about connecting the two systems for the purposes of providing both with a …

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East Providence seems poised to accept BCWA connection proposal

Project would be fully funded by neighboring group

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — A proposal brought forth last month at a workshop by the Bristol Country Water Authority to the city about connecting the two systems for the purposes of providing both with a back-up source has taken on a sense of expediency during the intermittent weeks.
Representatives of the BCWA, which services the communities of Barrington, Warren and Bristol, returned to East Providence Tuesday night, April 23, to review their plan during a public session of the City Council while elaborating a bit on its current predicament.
Two weeks ago, a leak sprung in the main BCWA pipeline from the Scituate Reservoir at a location in the area of the Port of Providence at Fields Point. The break means the pipeline is leaking nearly 300,000 gallons per day, which has forced the BCWA to tap into an existing, though albeit lacking, secondary supply through the East Providence system.
“The way things happen sometime, it makes you question how these situations arise. It’s almost like it was planned,” said East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva in his introductory remarks last Tuesday. Mr. DaSilva was referencing the timing of the April workshop on the topic and subsequent BCWA line leak.
The mayor noted the existing connection, a 16-inch diameter pipe, between the systems is not sufficient.
As they did last month at an informal workshop, BCWA Executive Director Pamela Marchand and Paul Smith, a Senior Project Engineer at the Providence-based BETA Group, discussed last Tuesday a two-pronged plan that would initially see the systems joined together to provide both with another means of access to water. Down the line, the other aspect could potentially have the conjoined system connect with Pawtucket, offering both a true second, outside flow.
Ms. Marchand reiterated the BCWA would pay for the vast majority of the first phase, the cost of which is estimated to be approximately $4.75 million. seeking only assistance from East Providence with police patrols required during construction. She added, subject to negotiation, some future maintenance costs could be shared. The proposal has already received the backing of the respective councils in the three towns composing the BCWA.
Of the existing conundrum the BCWA faces, Ms. Marchand said, “We’ve yet to locate the leak. Hopefully we will some time during this week.”
The first part of the BCWA plan calls for the two systems to be interwoven with a 24-inch pipe beginning where the BCWA main pipe reaches land near the Silver Spring Golf Course off Pawtucket Avenue in the waters under the Providence River. The connection would eventually reach East Providence’s water hub located at the tower facility in Kent Heights off Dover Avenue.
Two routes were whittled down from about a six potential ways of forming the connection (see attachment).
At the meeting last month, Mr. Smith said about a half-dozen piping routes were considered at the outset, but ultimately only a pair were deemed viable. One would stay mostly on main roads, heading north on Pawtucket Avenue, turning east at Wampanoag Trail then north again on Dover Avenue until reaching the tower. It had an estimated cost of $5.1 million. The other, with the $4.75 million price tag, would cross under Pawtucket Avenue behind the Village Green apartment complex, then travel north on Elder Avenue through property owned by Citizens Bank before reaching the Trail and again running up Dover ending at the tower site.
Both last month and last week, the mayor and council seemed to coalesce around the second route.
“A lot of work and effort has come into putting together a couple of different options,” Mayor DaSilva said.
“The administration has sat down with Bristol County and of the two options, the second would be the least disruptive and cost effective.”
Mr. Smith emphasized the existing 16-inch pipe is capable of connecting the two systems long term.
“That’s why redundancy is so important here. If there’s a large water main break in Providence, which would could off supply to both East Providence and Bristol County Water Authority, that’s one type of failure that could happen that could impact both water systems.
“The other type of failure could be the cross-bay pipeline pipes, if something happened to them either in the bay or in Providence…Any problem, especially if it’s in the bay or close to the bay, we’re talking about an extremely difficult repair to complete, sort of what we’re currently dealing with with the Bristol Country Water Authority.”
Mr. Smith noted, “Once that’s established it’s beneficial to both communities…to take off line and inspect either system’s main pipeline and allow for repair.” The connection, he said, would be a dedicated transmission line for emergency supply. Calling it a “symbiotic relationship,” the connection would represent “a net gain for both communities.”
East Providence Water Supervisor Jim Marvel said the city’s 50-plus-year-old 32-inch main remains an ongoing concern for his department. He referenced an incident a few years ago when a distressed construction crane teetered perilously over it in the Providence River. He also said, “catastrophic failure” such as a crack in its aged core is a constant worry.
Of the affect of constructing the proposed connection to city customers and of the BCWA’s leak problem, Mr. Marvel added, “It’s all a matter of timing, right now is the low flow period of the year. I don't foresee  over the next six to eight weeks it having any impact of the city at all. If it does impact the city it would predominantly be in the Riverside section of the city.”
In his concluding remarks, Mayor DaSilva commended the BCWA for its approach to the city and its paying the cost of the connection. He said the administration is also seeking the assistant of the state’s Congressional delegation about any federal funding for future water system projects if it becomes available.
The mayor stressed the project in total is “not about changing our water source from one to another. It’s about having that backup.” He continued, “I know a lot of people are concerned. We’re not looking to change our water source from the Scituate Reservoir to the Pawtucket supply,” adding later, “The current Bristol Country connection to East Providence would not be sufficient to provide water to all of East Providence.”
The item is expected to soon be on a City Council meeting docket for further discussion and potentially a vote.
New EPHS invoices
Also last Tuesday, at the request of Ward 3 Councilor Nate Cahoon the council passed a resolution authorizing the administration to pay invoices related to the construction of a new East Providence High School in the amount of approximately $837,000. The monies are to be paid for architect and owner project manager services for the month of March
“The costs are right on budget,” Mr. Cahoon said. “The architectural fees are right in line with what they scheduled to be charged at this point.”
Calling them “big milestones,” Mr. Cahoon added design documents for the new EPHS are on target to be completed for an August timeframe and the full construction documents are on a path for completion in October.
A groundbreaking ceremony at the high school is slated for June 5 or 6 depending on the schedule of Governor Gina Raimondo. The state is contributing as much as $70 million and potentially up $90 million of the project’s $189.5 million total price tag.
Of how the city approaches funding its share of the project, Mayor DaSilva said it will delay seeking bond money until September or October of this year as it awaits the state to begin providing the city with backing and as a means of saving on interest payments. He said there is enough money in the coffers to pay bills incurred through the early fall.
Appointment
The council, as well, approved the appointment of Greg Bothelo, 24 Winslow St., to the position of Assistant Harbor Master/Pump Operator. Mr. Botelho’s nomination was proposed by Ward 4 Councilman Ricardo Mourato.

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MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.