SEABROOK — When one of the three mains bringing water from the west side of town to the east side burst last fall, selectmen thought it would be a routine matter to fix.
But serious problems have arisen because the 50-year-old pipe runs under Interstate 95. To complicate matters, access to the pipe was paved over when Massachusetts built the entrance ramp to its visitors center in Salisbury.
"We thought we'd just be able to access the pipe sleeve (which is under the entrance ramp), pull the old pipe out and run a new one through," said Selectman Brendan Kelly in a recent interview. "But when our people checked, they were told Massachusetts would not let them dig up the entrance ramp to make the repairs."
The easement that was worked out between Massachusetts and New Hampshire that town officials thought might give them access to the broken pipe sleeve turned out to be "very vague," Selectman Bob Moore said at yesterday's selectmen's meeting.
The easement gives no specifics as to what can and cannot be done through it. Neither has the New Hampshire Department of Transportation been of any help, Moore said.
The result is the need to repair the pipe the hard way, at a cost of $250,000. It's $250,000 the budget can't produce because the town is working on a default spending plan.
Attempts to get the Seabrook Budget Committee to approve an emergency release of money from the unrestricted reserve account took months, Kelly said. According to regulations, the state Department of Revenue Administration also has to approve taking emergency funding from the reserve account.
Last week, the Department of Revenue Administration said no. Selectmen believe the agency's reasoning is faulty and possibly unlawful.
Barbara Robinson, director of municipal services for the Department of Revenue Administration, said town officials should take the $250,000 from capital reserve accounts established by Town Meeting in years past to search for new water sources or repair wells and pumps.
But fixing a new water main isn't discussed in those warrant articles, Moore said, and state law is very specific on how money approved from warrant questions can be used. Money can be used only on things included in the language stated in the articles.
"It seems like they're asking us to perform two wrongs to make it right," Kelly said after the meeting. "I don't think we can do it."
Yesterday, selectmen decided to hold off on any further action until the new town manager, Barry Brenner, takes over in two weeks.
"The new town manager is pretty astute on New Hampshire laws, and I think we'll rely on him for this," Moore said.
The old cast iron pipe burst last fall when water pressure spiked while the town was flushing hydrants, Kelly said. The pipe is one of two, 12-inch and one, 8-inch pipes delivering water from west side water supplies to the major portion of the town on the east side of I-95. Without it, the town can only pump at about 60 percent capacity.
"So long as we don't have any more broken pipes or any more big fires that can drain down our tanks, we'll be OK," Moore said. Seabrook has had some good-sized fires since the pipe burst.
In March, a Hooksett Street home was destroyed in Seabrook's thickly settled Beach Village District that drew fire companies from many surrounding towns to put out the fire and keep it from spreading. In April, firefighters dealt with brush fires over substantial acreage during a dry spell.
And in early June, Seabrook's water system was the primary source of water, providing about 300,000 gallons under mutual aid to neighboring South Hampton, where three buildings were destroyed at Nor'East Architectural Antiques on 16 Exeter Road.
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria
Romney Slams President Obama at CPAC
Gingrich: Pres. Obama 'waging War on Religion'
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
