Westport’s long-awaited greater Route 6 sewer and water extension got two big boosts this week — news of nearly $1 million in approved federal funding, and access to $7.5 million in low interest state loans — as the project heads toward a crucial local vote.

Route 6 faces the first of two big tests Tuesday, April 9, when voters decide the fate of a debt exclusion that, if approved, would allow a similar question to be posed at May’s yearly Town Meeting.

If both pass, Westport would have the authority to bond up to $35 million for the three-phase project, about $8 million of which would cover the first portion.

Now, that cost could be considerably less with news of several positive funding developments:

Nearly $1 million in funding

Town planner Michael Burris confirmed with United States Rep. Bill Keating’s office this week that the town will receive $959,752 to support the project’s first phase.

Burris applied last year for a Congressionally directed spending request with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, as well as Rep. Keating. Keating sponsored the town’s funding request, which Westport learned this week made it through Congress and was signed by the president.

“This will go a long way with supporting the first segment” of the project, Burris said.

Burris said town planners will apply for federal funding again this year, putting in the maximum $5 million request for the two subsequent project sections. 

Westport was supported in its Congressional request by Sen. Michael Rodrigues, Rep. Paul Schmid, the Buzzards Bay Coalition, and the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District.

Low interest loans

Gov. Maura Healey announced this week that Westport has been approved for a low interest loan of up to $7,059,017, to cover the first phase of the project. And there could be some debt forgiveness tied into that loan.

Westport officials, including members of the Infrastructure Oversight Committee, applied for the loans last year through the state’s Revolving Fund.

This week, committee vice chairman Bob Daylor said the availability of low interest loans should help Westport out tremendously over the 20-year life of the bonds. State interest rates run 1.5 to 2 percent, half of the 3.75 percent rate Westport might expect if bonding privately. Daylor estimated the local savings could run into the millions over those 20 years.

The loans' existence is also a good response, he said, to those who say, "'Well we don’t need to do it now.'"

“It will certainly make a big difference” and to have such a low rate available should make the project much more palatable to voters, he said.

Senator Rodrigues and Rep. Schmid were instrumental in helping to secure the revolving fund loans for the town, Daylor said.

“Westport is incredibly appreciative of this commitment from the State Revolving Fund which will help us to improve water quality in the Westport River, provide clean drinking water for north end residents, and create planned economic growth along Route 6,” Rep. Schmid said.

“These types of projects are important to the health of a community, and the opportunity to finance them affordably makes all the difference to small communities."

The funding, added Sen. Rodrigues, "will spur smart growth, economic development, and improve the overall quality of life for the residents and businesses in the district."

The project

Long planned but shelved several times, Westport’s long goal of modernizing water infrastructure along Route 6 includes the construction of a water and sewer “trunk” line onto Route 6 from the Fall River line, running it as far east as the Dartmouth line.

A series of new or improved pump stations would be built along the way, eventually resulting in much improved water service and sewer where none is currently available.

As the project is built out, residents and commercial property owners currently underserved with poor water service, and no sewer, would have the opportunity to tie into the system as it advances in the coming years, paying “betterments” to help cover the connection cost.

Town leaders believe the project will have a huge impact on business in the north end, bringing in more development and increased tax revenue, while helping underserved residents and eliminating one of the major sources of pollution in South Watuppa Pond and the Westport River.