Public Works presented a request to engage Stantec Consulting for professional engineering services to design and oversee replacement of a transmission pipeline beneath Brushneck Cove that supplies the Oakland Beach area. Staff told the committee the pipeline has been leaking since at least 2021 at an estimated rate of roughly 30 gallons per minute and that the main affects pressure, water quality and fire protection for portions of Oakland Beach.

Public Works recommended directional drilling to install the replacement pipeline to minimize shoreline disturbance and simplify permitting, and said the $199,500 fee would cover up to 60 percent design, contractor procurement assistance and construction oversight; the remaining design and construction administration would be captured under follow-on services. Committee members and residents asked why the issue had not been fully addressed since leaks were first documented; Public Works staff said prior organizational changes and earlier repairs elsewhere explained some of the delay but that the city now seeks to move forward.

Questions from council members and the public focused on the expected environmental impacts, whether Native American (Narragansett) coordination had begun, right-of-entry for private property and contingency planning if directional drilling encountered refusal (rock or ledge). Staff said refusal would trigger relocating the drill entry point and that tribal consultation and property-rights coordination would take place during later design phases.

The item remained on the committee agenda for action; the staff presentation and public questions established the scope and cost estimate for procurement and design.