NORWICH – Now, more than five years after the City of Norwich first proposed a new water filtration plant to replace the 108-year-old facility currently in use on Rexford Street, the Common Council has passed a resolution to create a new line for the project on the city’s budget sheet, and a contract with an Oneonta-based engineering firm to complete the work.

The city put the project out to bid earlier this year and for the past few months, officials have reviewed several proposals for the water filtration project. Having received four qualified responses to the city’s requests for qualifications, Delaware Engineering P.C. of Oneonta was chosen to carry out the project at a cost of $749,000, pending funding from the United States Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (USDA-RD). Including all costs, the overall bill for the project is an estimated $6.1 million.

“Our next step is to file an application with the USDA-RD by August 31, 2013,” explained Superintendent of Public Works Carl Ivarson. The entire project from here on out rides on the back of that funding application, he added. It will be the deciding factor for whether or not the project comes to fruition in the foreseeable future.