Select Board awards $28 million water treatment contract to Milford firm

BELLINGHAM — July 21, 2025 — Bellingham Select Board awards $28.1 million contract to fix PFAS contamination in north-side water supply. The board voted unanimously Monday to award Contract 2025-PFAS — covering upgrades to the Hartford Avenue Water Treatment Plant — to Daniel O'Connell and Sons of Milford at $28,095,000, below the engineer's pre-bid estimate of roughly $32 million and under the anticipated bid range of $28 million to $31.3 million. DPW Director Jesse Riddell said the bid results were favorable across both general and subcontractor pricing and that the project will be financed through the State Revolving Fund. The debt was authorized as exempt at town meeting, meaning water and sewer ratepayers rather than the broader residential tax base will carry the cost — a distinction board members noted will matter when the town sets its tax rate later this year.