Final design phase work now taking place in Bennington and North Bennington --
Last week, Governor Peter Shumlin announced that the first phase in final design for water line extensions to PFOA-impacted drinking water wells in North Bennington and Bennington has begun. Contracts to begin the final design process were signed with Otter Creek Engineering and MSK Engineering & Design. The firms will analyze and estimate all expenses and logistics associated with a preliminary layout for municipal line extensions. This phase of final design work includes fly-overs to conduct aerial imagery, historic preservation assessment, assessing environmental conditions, and evaluating potential water quality impacts.
The costs associated with the first phase of final design are estimated at $444,000 and will be paid for by the State of Vermont. Negotiations with Saint-Gobain, the potentially responsible party, continue.
Maintenance Manual for POET Testing In Development:
Point-of-entry treatment (POET) system sampling being performed by Saint-Gobain's contractor, CT Male, is continuing until all POETs have been sampled three times to prove that they are working correctly. Once these sampling events have been completed, future sampling will be performed in accordance with a POET Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Manual being completed by CT Male. The State has received and commented on the Draft Manual. Once these comments have been addressed in a final POET O&M Manual, the final document will be posted on the DEC web page. A link for this document will be provided in a future community update when available.