PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to complete upgrades to the Cleveland and Ashley Water Treatment Plants by 2033. 

On the agenda is a request to borrow up to $15 million for upgrades to the city's two water treatment plants, the Cleveland and Ashley Water Treatment Plants.  This would fund the final design and permitting for Phases 1-3, phase 1 of interim updates, allowances, and contingency. 

The total water treatment plant program is estimated to be $165 million over the next 8 years, with $150 million for long-term construction and $15 million for near-term needs "to keep the plants operational and
advance the program through design and permitting," the project's cover letter explains. 

The city does not anticipate water rate increases outside of the established new system based on the  Consumer Price Index Factor (CPIF) and the Operational Stability Factor (OSF). 

"This borrowing, and subsequent authorizations anticipated over the multi-year WTP program, has
been integrated into the Water Enterprise Fund's rate structure so that future debt service is absorbed
within the Council's established formula," the cover letter reads. 

The $15,000,000 borrowing would support:

• Final Design & Permitting (Phases 1–3): $9.2M
• Phase 1 Construction (incl. bidding & engineering during construction): $2.4M
• Land Acquisition/Misc. Engineering/Legal/Contingency: $1.4M
• WTP Equipment Replacement/Maintenance to Plant Operations: $2.0M

Starting this year, two finished water storage tanks would be designed and constructed, chemical improvements would be made at the Cleveland WTP, and the East New Lenox Road flow control station would receive a new pump station to allow the Ashley WTP to be offline during the third phase.