Voters gave an emphatic thumbs-up Tuesday to a $20 million plan to build a new wastewater treatment facility in Warren.

Voters approved the costly infrastructure project by a margin of more than three to one, voting 3,318 to 918 to spend up to $20 million on the new plant. The vote came amid fears that if Warren did not build, state officials would make good on long-standing threats to fine the town as much as $1,000 a day.

Warren Town Council Joseph DePasquale could not be reached for comment, but Warren Town Manager Jan Reitsma said he was very happy that the bond passed, despite the fact that Warren will have to deal with the debt its bonding creates for years to come.

“It’s a very good outcome,” he said. “It means that collectively we’ve been able to get the information out to people. It’s a huge investment, but on the other hand it’s a necessary one.

In 2005 the state DEM determined that nitrogen discharges from Warren had to be reduced, and ordered the town to work toward a new, more efficient sewage treatment plant. That directive was put on hold for years as Warren struggled with finances, but the town and DEM signed a consent agreement in which the town pledged to eventually build the plant. 

With Tuesday’s voter approval, Mr. Reitsma said the town and its engineers can complete preliminary design work and hopefully get the project out to bid early next year.

Mr. Reitsma also had praise for town council members, whom he said supported the project even though it might have been the easiest thing to do politically.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 24.0px Palatino}

“They deserve a lot of credit,” he said, as did voters.