MONTICELLO — Volunteers are needed to help the town undertake avast water project that will increase service to nearly 200 homesand 20 businesses, according to town officials.

“This will be the largest water line project the town has everundertaken at one time since the water lines were first put down,”said Mayor David Nichols.

Volunteers are needed for far more than laying pipe, Nicholssaid, although pipe layers are also needed. Volunteers can alsobabysit for other volunteers, make coordinating telephone calls,provide lunches or run errands, among other jobs.

“We need as many as we can get,” Nichols said. “What we wouldlike to do is get enough volunteers to work them one weekend amonth.”

The length of the project will depend on the number ofvolunteers, he said, but he hopes to have it completed in “aboutthree months.”

The project is Phase II of a state Self-Help Grant, formerlycalled STEP Grants, that rewards counties or municipalities fortheir volunteerism. The grant provides funds for materials and workthat must be contracted in return for the entity receiving thegrant providing volunteers to do the work.

By using volunteers, Nichols said, the town will save between$300,000-500,000.

“This is how we can afford to put this many lines in,” hesaid.

Areas scheduled to receive a water line upgrade during Phase IIinclude the New Town area, Ward 1, a stretch of Highway 84, aportion of Tommy Jolly Drive, and the Riverwood subdivision,Nichols said.

Work is expected to begin in two to three weeks, Nichols said,adding that the material has already been delivered.

“We’re ready to start laying pipe. We just need morevolunteers,” he said.

Phase I was completed last summer, Nichols said, and it provedto be a “great success.”

The first phase consisted of conducting a water system analysisto determine what size pipes were needed to increase service to theunderserved areas.

Phase I would have cost about $30,000, Nichols said, but becauseof the number of volunteers donating their time and sweat to theproject, that cost was reduced to about $12,000.

The town would have begun work on Phase II earlier this summer,but they were waiting on highway department permits and otherregulatory approvals.

“The quicker we get some volunteers, the quicker we can startserving better water,” Nichols said.

For more information or to volunteer, call City Hall at587-0045.