The Waitsfield Select Board approved a request from the town’s water commission to connect three Fayston homes to the town’s municipal water system.
The board took that action at its December 19. The three properties are on Post Office Road. That road is accessed at the back of the central entrance to the Mad River Green Shops and runs up the hill between the post office and Shaw’s.
The town’s water ordinance allows the town to sell water to users outside the town as the select board deems beneficial to the town, as long as there is more than enough water to meet the town’s needs. The water ordinance spells out the process requiring each homeowner to agreed to a lien for the water service charges and agreeing to all the town ordinances, rules and regulations for using the system.
Robin Morris, chair of the town’s water commission, reported that in the last 12 months, town water system users had used 15,340,187 gallons, representing 15.7% of the well pump’s permitted capacity. His explanation pointed out that Post Office Road is served by a 2-inch diameter water main that terminates at the Waitsfield Fayston boundary.
There are two parcels on that road, in Waitsfield, that are already connected to the system. The three homeowners who want to connect are the first three houses on the Fayston side of the boundary. They are owned by Betsy Jondro, M. Beauchamp and the Welter-McLaughlin household. There are seven houses on the road in total.
The water commission approved extending service to the three properties on December 5. Each parcel will be allocated one ERU (equivalent residential unit) and the owners will be responsible for all engineering, design and construction costs. Each owner’s engineer will provide engineering plans and certification that the existing two-inch main will provide sufficient pressure for the two connected parcels as well as the three new parcels. Those plans and that certification need to be reviewed and approved by the water commission before construction or connection can occur.
