Recent winter storms may have halted progress on Southport’s water project, but plans to hook up the island’s water supply with the rest of the Boothbay region remain on schedule for summer completion. 

“We’d like to get the project wrapped up by June of this year,” said Jon Ziegra, manager of the Boothbay Region Water District. 

From late November up until about two weeks ago, upgrading Southport’s water needs and fire protection has been steadfast, Ziegra said. Ledges were blasted, roads were torn up, and water lines were installed. 

At least two sections are complete, Ziegra said: the stretch of road extending east from the four-way intersection known as “Four Corners” to the Southport swing bridge; and the section leading from Route 238 up to the site where a new 500,000 gallon standpipe water tower will replace the current one with three times the water capacity. 

Ziegra estimated that, so far, only 30 percent of the new water mains have been installed, however, once the weather improves, work will resume on getting the remaining 70 percent in the ground. 

Islanders can expect traffic delays during March along Route 27 from the west side of the Southport Bridge to Plummer Road. Then the Maine Department of Transportation will step in to improve the driving conditions along the roads that were excavated, Ziegra said. 

Funding for the project was made possible when the United States Department of Agriculture approved a a $1,200,000 grant and a $2,200,000 million low-interest loan early last year. 

By the time the project is complete, the water district will be able to serve drinking water to 3,267 customers and provide about a million gallons of fire protection at any one time.