Work is underway to prepare the Cold Stone Springs property for the construction of a new water treatment and distribution facility for both Peterborough and Jaffrey.

On Monday, the Jaffrey Select Board held a public hearing to update the public on the project, a requirement of the Community Development Block Grant that is funding about $500,000 of the total $12.2 million cost of the project.

The facility was originally projected to be completed this summer, but is now anticipated to be complete by the end of 2024. Ben Gradert, an associate planner for Southwest Regional Planning Commission and an administrator of the Community Development Block Grant, said several aspects outside of the town’s control caused the delay.

“Due to challenges related to securing additional funding and meeting other requirements, the town requested and received an extension of the project’s deadline, from originally June 30, 2023. It has now been extended out 18 months to Dec. 31, 2024. This extension is in line with the end date for other funding sources that the project is receiving and represents the best current estimate of when the project will be completed,” Gradert said.

Town Manager Jon Frederick said that work on the Cold Stone Springs site, which is located on the Jaffrey/Sharon border, has already begun, with tree-trimming to clear the area, ground preparation underway and upgrades to the Class VI access road started.

“The project’s underway. It’s becoming a reality,” Frederick said. “Everything’s cranking away.”

During Monday’s meeting, the board also reviewed a draft of an interconnection operation and management agreement, outlining how the facility will be run between the towns of Jaffrey and Peterborough. The board did not take a vote on the agreement Monday, but could ratify the document as soon as next month.

According to the draft document, the facility would be jointly owned by both towns, with water mains leading from the facility to each town’s water supply system owned and maintained by the town the water is being delivered to.

The draft outlines how the site will be managed, with eight appointed members on an advisory committee to monitor operations, consisting of one Select Board member, two water operators or citizens and the town administrator or town manager from each town. The committee would meet monthly.

Under the agreement, all water treatment will be a joint cost, and will conform to the State of New Hampshire drinking water standards. Treatments exceeding state standards that are not mutually agreed upon by both towns will be the financial responsibility of the town requesting the additional treatment.

During water shortages in an individual town due to drought or infrastructure failure, the Cold Stone Springs site can be used to meet emergency needs.

Should the towns decide to no longer be a partner in the facility, they forfeit all capital investment associated with the acquisition and development to the treatment plant.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244 or asaarI@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.