Orleans updates sewer project: phase 2 connections climb to about 8% as town readies phase 3 construction

Orleans committee members received a progress report on the town’s wastewater program on June 25, with consultants saying applications continue to arrive and construction planning for phase 3 is under way.

"Another 10 properties have connected. So, we're up to 8% of phase two," said Tim (AECOM), who presented the connection map and schedule updates. He told the committee he has received a little over 80 applications and that a little over two dozen properties are connected to date.

Tim said bids for phase 3 were favorable, the town received state authorization to award, and "the town countersigned the agreement with RBO" two days earlier, putting the project ahead of the June 30 deadline with the state agency referenced in the presentation. A pre‑construction conference is scheduled next Tuesday; Tim described the notice to proceed as "the formal document that starts the clock on the construction." He said the contractor will focus this summer on submittals and baseline schedules, with full mobilization and a likely groundbreaking in early fall dependent on the contractor’s finalized schedule.

To prepare property owners, staff plan to prepare about 270 connection sketches that show a proposed sewer stub for each property and allow owners to request changes or provide feedback. The sketches are expected to be finalized in early July and mailed in late July; staff said they will decide whether to send them by regular mail or certified mail with return receipt.

Committee members and staff discussed outreach details: revising the existing homeowners guide into clearer plain language, coordinating an informational meeting late this summer, and ensuring ongoing communication channels so residents can track construction activity. John Smith and others noted many returned or unclaimed certified letters from earlier mailings and said staff will try to locate property owners for those notices.

The report noted that many connections will be scheduled later in the season because homeowner and contractor scheduling typically delays on‑the‑ground work until August–October. No formal votes were taken on project approvals at the meeting.

Next steps listed by staff include the pre‑construction conference, finalizing and mailing connection sketches, deciding mailing method, and a planned outreach push before construction mobilizes.