Roger Williams University has agreed to pay $500,000 to help the Town of Bristol replace one of its aging sewer mains, in a project that may begin soon, last nine months, cost about $1.9 million and open the door for the university’s planned dormitory expansion (see separate story).

Though this new sewer main is considered critical to the university’s residence plan, Bristol Town Administrator Stephen Contente contends this is not a university project.

“We’re not doing this sewer main just for Roger Williams,” Mr. Contente said. “This needed to be done regardless. We’re in jeopardy with this sewer line … At any time, those pipes could collapse.”

Nine years ago, the town conducted a study of the Ferry Road sewer line, which included cameras inserted into the pipes. This was shortly after a major sewer collapse just north of there, at the south end of Wood Street.

The cameras revealed a number of problems, including cracked pipes and a too-small system. Much of the Ferry Road sewage passes through an 8-inch pipe that is vulnerable to backups, especially during heavy rain. Residents in the Ambrose Court area know this well.

When Roger Williams approached the town last fall with its plans to build new dormitories on the main campus, town officials essentially said “no way.”

“We told them they can’t expand until we fix and replace that pipe,” Mr. Contente said.

Roger Williams initially refused to pay. As the town’s largest sewer customer — the university is paying $412,326 in sewer use fees this year — they felt they were paying their share. Furthermore, they would not be adding burden to the sewer system, only shifting it from one area of town (Almeida Apartments on Bay View Avenue) to another (the main campus).

But negotiations continued, and the university eventually agreed to the $500,000 contribution — more than 25 percent of the overall cost of the project.

Last week, the town received bids on a three-phase project stretching three-quarters of a mile, from the main entrance of Roger Williams, straight down Ferry Road to the treatment plant. At the end of the line, the old 8-inch pipe will be replaced with 15-inch to 18-inch PVC pipes.

The town’s portion of the project will be paid for in long-term bonding approved by voters last November. In the 2016 election, voters overwhelmingly approved a bond referendum that authorized up to $17 million in bonding. Though this project was not mentioned in the list of priorities, the town has the purview to use the money at its own discretion. When voters went to the polls last year, they were told $7 million would be used for drainage projects, primarily to address flooding in the Tanyard Brook watershed.

Mr. Contente felt the Roger Williams offer was too good to pass up. “This is something we had to do anyway, and we’re getting half a million dollars from Roger Williams. It’s a good deal,” he said.