Bristol County Water Authority

Detailed History

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1995

The BCWA re-finances its $19 million debt and saves $4 million in interest.

This reduces further the originally projected rate increase.

 

1996

The BCWA changes the schedule of installation for automated water meters, thus reducing the capital expenditure by approximately $170,000 yearly. In conjunction with this change, the BCWA decreases its personnel by two people which reduced the Operating Budget by approximately $100,000 yearly.

This reduces further the originally projected rate increase.

 

1997

In 1997 the BCWA issues $12 million General Revenue Bond (rather than $32 million as originally projected) to finance the remaining portions of the East Bay Pipeline.

 

1998

The BCWA completes the rehabilitation of 60 miles of piping of its distribution system and nears the completion of the East Bay Pipeline, on schedule for operating at year end 1998.

BCWA hires Horizontal Drilling International (HDI) of Houston, Texas to drill a tunnel under Narragansett Bay to house the pipeline. This tunnel would be more than 4,000 feet long at a depth of down to 160 feet below the bottom of the Bay; the longest and most complex tunnel of this type ever drilled in the world.

In February 1998, however, it was discovered by HDI that a limited but excessively hard-rock deposit was located on the route of the tunnel. The hardness of the rock was such to slow down tunneling operations to a mere few feet per day. This caused the tunneling operations to be completed with a 4-month delay, and an increase in cost of $6 million.

The BCWA had to issue Bonds one more time in the amount of $6.0 Million to complete the Project.

Finally on December 17, 1998 the BCWA started operation of the East Bay Pipeline.

The Pipeline will provide the people of Bristol County with treated drinking water from the Providence Scituate System for many years to come, putting an end to the years of struggling with an inadequate water supply.

 

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