The Block Island Water Department has asked the town to place a bond referendum on the warrant for this year’s Financial Town Meeting in the amount of $3.1 million. As most businesses and home-owners in the Water District have been made aware, sometimes painfully, the Water Company has run up against a capacity limitation and is no longer granting water allocations, unless they are for fire suppression. Instead, most have been placed on a waiting list until the water capacity can be increased. At this time, it is anticipated that the bond repayment will be paid by customers of the water company, to the extent funds are not collected from sources like “contributions to the aid of construction.”Town Engineer James Geremia and Water Superintendent John Bruenig, along with Water Commission Chair Brad Marthens made the formal request to the Town Council on Monday April 17.The project involves three elements and the total cost is projected to be $5.6 million, with 45 percent coming from a U.S. Department of of Agriculture grant. One of the elements is to develop a new well field on the Schmidt Property that was purchased
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