BRISTOL — Crews are chipping away at the second phase of a larger effort to replace aging water lines in Bristol.

The Bristol West project took off this spring and marks the latest phase in an ongoing effort to replace around half of the lines in the town’s aging water distribution system. The project — the second of four phases — will consist of work on some or all of Munsill Avenue and Maple, Pleasant, Church, Elm, Taylor, West, Park and School streets.

“It is going well,” Bristol Town Administrator Greg Faust said of the project late last week. “The crew is moving street by street installing the new water mains, and we hold a standing weekly construction meeting with the engineer and contractor to keep the work on schedule and coordinate around residents.”

Bristol residents voted in November 2024 to bond for up to $3.95 million to support the Bristol West project, which Faust noted is being engineered by VTM Engineering (led by town engineer Steve Palmer) and built by Munson Earth Moving.

As of this past Friday, Munson’s crew had “completed main installation on Elm, Taylor, and all the way down Pine,” Faust said. He highlighted what next steps are required after that main installation.

“After the mains are in, the new system goes through water quality, sampling, and pressure testing before it is tied into the live water supply,” Faust said. “So, a street having the new main in the ground is a major milestone, but it is not the final step, and the crew still has more work ahead this year.”

Work will continue next year as well, as the project is planned to take place over two construction seasons.

“Exactly how much carries into 2027 is still being worked out as the schedule firms up, and we will share more as those details settle,” Faust explained.

He said community members can find project updates and notices posted by the town on Front Porch Forum and Bristol’s website (bristolvt.org).

“We are also working to improve our traditional communication methods to provide better and more timely project information,” he added. “Residents with questions about timing on their street are welcome to contact the town administrator’s office directly.”

Faust pointed to the bigger picture the Bristol West project fits into and what that work means for the community.

“Bristol West replaces aging water main, parts of the system dating back to 1905, which means more reliable water service, better water quality, and stronger fire protection for this part of town for the next generation,” he said.

He noted the project is “funded primarily through the State’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and a substantial share of the cost is being covered by state subsidy rather than falling on local ratepayers.”

“The project also replaces lead service lines, removing lead from the system at no direct cost to the affected property owners,” Faust said. “For a town our size, this is a significant, once-in-a-generation reinvestment in core infrastructure, and the state funding is the reason Bristol can take it on now rather than deferring it.”