WESTFIELD — Eric Wies, consulting engineer for Clark, Patterson and Lee Engineering firm eagerly commences the Shore Haven water project led by the Town of Westfield. The engineering firm recently kicked off the project and Wies was asked to address the town board and residents at the February Westfield Town Board meeting.

Wies outlined the project timeline stating the firm is currently in the design and permit stage and expects to have all the permits requested and in place by March. Wies explained next, a bid to contractors will go out in April or May.

When asked when the project will be completed, Wies responded that the water main should be installed by the end of Fall, with the possibility that restoration may extend into 2018.

Town Supervisor Martha Bills is eager to start as well. “We were very pleased to receive the funding from the USDA Rural Development Agency and appreciate the joint effort from local congressional representatives, (Rep. Tom) Reed and (Sen. Chuck) Schumer, the Health Department, town of Ripley and village of Westfield.”

Bills went on to say the timeline Wies has outlined, “is an optimistic timeline and we hope that it does move along that quickly.”

The town of Westfield was recently awarded $838,000 in a combination grant and loan to replace the water main in the Shore Haven community. Shore Haven straddles two towns — Westfield and Ripley, both of which will be served in this project. Approximately 11,000 feet of water lines will be replaced.

Fifty-five homes are connected to the water source through the water system and with the new lines in place, residents will have drinking water available year-round. Water is supplied from the village of Westfield through existing pipes and will continue to be supplied from the Village without limitation. However, currently the 50-year-old pipes are too shallow and freeze often, giving most residents seasonal-only access to water.

The Shore Haven project is one of many water projects that the town is leading. The first was the Barcelona project that was completed last year and next is the Route 5 water project. An application to USDA RD for the Route 5 project is currently in process.

Wies also presented an update on the Route 5 water main project, which will be done in multiple phases. Environmental impacts are now being assessed per the SEQR act. SEQR is New York’s Environmental Quality Review process. The EPA and the States Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) — a part of the National Park Service could weigh in as well and may make recommendations altering the project to avoid any adverse environmental or archaeological impacts. Based on the Barcelona and Shore Haven projects, the firm does not expect roadblocks.