MIDDLEBORO – Town Meeting approved to appropriate a total of $9,294,300 in funds to complete two water main upgrade projects on Monday, Oct. 16. 

The Wareham Street water main project totals at $8,428,000 and will be funded through a combination of sources. 

“After doing some research, we determined that it is a pretty dated water main out there,” said Department of Public Works Director Chris Peck. 

According to Town Manager James McGrail, $7,493,622 will be borrowed through the water enterprise fund with the debt being paid through rates, $934,378 will be funded through American Rescue Plan Act grant funding. 

According to Peck, the project is still in the design phase and construction is planned to begin in 2027. Peck said that the state will “completely reconstruct” Wareham Street including the sidewalks.

The completion of the water main upgrade project of Center Ave, Anderson Ave and North Main Street water totals at $8,663,000 and includes the paving of those roads.

According to Peck, similar to the Wareham Street project, the water main in the area of Center Ave, Anderson Ave and North Main Street is outdated. 

“Anyone that has driven on these roads knows that it needs to be repaved,” said Peck. 

The project is currently in the final design stages with construction planned to start in the spring. 

According to McGrail, the funds will be borrowed from the water enterprise fund with debt services being paid through water rates. McGrail said that the town is still evaluating whether water rates will be raised to cover the costs.