On September 13, 2022, the Champlain Water District (CWD) voters passed a bond for $8.7M for the Filtered Water Tank II and Raw Water Parallel Transmission Main. Both of these projects had been identified for significant grant funding potentially up to 80%. The promise to the CWD voters was there would be no CWD increase as a result of these two projects, with the potential grant funding and older CWD bonds set to expire. Unfortunately, neither project was eligible for the potential funding sources.
There is still the need to move these projects forward. However, the most pressing need for CWD at this time is to construct the new Filtered Water Tank II to replace the existing Filtered Water Tank which has significant structural issues. CWD still believes that this project, with a projected total project cost of $5.5M, can be funded without increasing CWD rates as a result of this project.
In March 2024, CWD intends to ask the voters to repurpose the $3.2M dedicated to the Raw Water Parallel Transmission Main under the September 2022 bond, for a CWD Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Upgrade. This improvement will allow the District to continually be in a position to supply safe, affordable drinking water 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, as well as maintaining compliance with all State and Federal regulations and requirements. This SCADA Upgrade project will result in a rate increase. More information will be available in the coming months to explain the need for this SCADA Upgrade project, anticipated project costs, and user rate impacts. At least two (2) special in person meetings will be held prior to the March 2024 bond vote to answer any questions the voters may have regarding the SCADA Upgrade project and bond articles.
For more information contact:
Champlain Water District (CWD)
403 Queen City Park Road, South Burlington, VT 05403
Phone: 802-864-7454
Website: www.champlainwater.org