How much would you pay for a backup?

If you are the New England Patriots, you're willing to pay backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo a little less than $800,000 this year.

But if you're Bristol County Water Authority ratepayers looking to foot the bill for a backup water supply, the answer could total almost $27 million.

At a meeting last week, officials from the BCWA told members of the Barrington, Warren and Bristol town councils that the first phase of a project to back up the existing water supply would cost $4 million, and the second phase would run another $23 million.

After mulling those numbers and discussing a variety of opinions on the matter, the majority of members of all three councils voted to approve the first phase of the work with the stipulation that the state would provide half the funding for that phase.

There was no vote on the second phase, said Barrington Town Council President June Speakman.

The first phase of the work calls for an interconnect with the East Providence cross-bay pipeline; the work will provide a second connection to the Scituate Reservoir water supply. In the event that something should happen to the East Bay cross-bay pipeline, which also carries water from the Scituate Reservoir, officials could access the East Providence connection and ratepayers in Barrington, Bristol and Warren would continue to have water service.

However, the redundancy would not help if Scituate Reservoir was compromised.

The second phase of the project addresses that concern. For an estimated $23 million, the authority plans to connect with the Pawtucket Water Supply System.

Another option — rebuilding the BCWA treatment plant in Warren and using water from the Shad Factory Pond and Kickemuit Reservoir — would reportedly cost $65 million, said BCWA officials.

"Why build a new plant (in Warren) when there's already a new one in Pawtucket?" said Ms. Speakman during a recent interview. (Pam Marchand, executive director of the Bristol County Water Authority, reportedly said that the governor's office would not likely support $65 million option with state funding since some of the work would take place in Massachusetts and involve non-Rhode Island construction companies.)

Barrington councilors Ms. Speakman, Kate Weymouth, Steve Primiano and Mike Carroll voted in favor of approving phase one, while Ann Strong voted in opposition. The Bristol Town Council voted 3-1 in favor, and Warren initially voted 3-2 against the measure. For Warren, David Frerichs and Brandt Heckert voted in favor, while Joe DePasquale, Scott Lial and Stephen Thompson voted against.

Ms. Speakman said some of the opposition focused upon East Providence's involvement in the project. According to the council president, East Providence officials are not interested in partnering in the project, which would have reduced the cost for BCWA ratepayers.

"If East Providence participated, the price (for BCWA) would drop to $9.4 (for phase two)," said Ms. Speakman.

Mr. DePasquale asked what would happen if the state did not reimburse the authority, and wondered about East Providence’s stake in it all.

“The interconnection (in Phase I) connects East Providence to our cross bay pipeline, and they don’t want to help pay for it,” he said.

“How is that a benefit to ratepayers? The benefit to us is supposed to be a redundant source of water. But our pipe works. Our valves work. And we’ve been told that East Providence’s valves don’t work.”

The fact that East Providence has seemed unwilling to participate gave Mr. DePasquale and fellow Warren councilor Scott Lial pause.

“I think East Providence should be in the room,” Mr. DePasquale said. “We’re paying for a water connect for East Providence, but the cost is going to be paid by Bristol County. We’re trying to look out for the ratepayers here.”

Barrington's Mike Carroll eventually offered a compromise.

The first-year council member suggested voting to approve the first phase of the work contingent on $2 million in state funding. That idea was enough to sway Warren's Stephen Thompson, who shifted his vote to approve the work.

Ms. Speakman said a number of local legislators, including Sen. Wally Felag, Rep. Joy Hearn, Rep. Ray Gallison and Rep. Ken Marshall, attended the tri-council meeting, but failed to address the state funding issue.

A member of the BCWA board of directors reportedly told other officials that the water authority work needed to happen with or without their support, warning that they would need to explain to their constituents (BCWA ratepayers) why they turned their backs on $2 million from the state.

There was no vote on the second phase. However, Ms. Marchand said the first phase, if all goes as planned, won’t be complete until about 2019. State funding for Phase I would require voter approval in Nov. 2016, she said. After that, she predicted two years of work to finish Phase I, bringing that phase to completion around 2019. She said it is too early to talk about the timing of Phase II.

“It depends on a lot of issues,” she said. Phase II “would likely be after” Phase I.

Back-up plans

Officials from the Bristol County Water Authority are pitching a two-phase plan that would establish redundancies for the local water supply.

• Phase one: Cost $4 million ($2 million possible in state money). Interconnect with the East Providence cross-bay pipeline; the work will provide a second connection to the Scituate Reservoir water supply.

• Phase two: Cost $21.6 million. Connection with the Pawtucket Water Supply System.

Not enough support

Some council members were hoping to rebuild the Bristol County Water Authority treatment plant in Warren and begin using water from the Shad Factory Pond and Kickemuit Reservoir. BCWA officials said that project would cost $65 million.