WEST PARIS — Androscoggin Savings Bank has conditionally approved West Paris Water District’s $111,000 loan application. The funds will be used to make critical repairs and upgrades to a neglected system built 60 years ago.

According to WPWD Office Manager Clariluz Perez Lisboa, the bank’s bond attorneys expect to process final paperwork and release the funds within the next two weeks.

District Operator Bill Gardner is ready with a priority list of long-deferred maintenance and repairs.

“This a great system water,” Gardner said. “The source, and its aquifer are efficient easy to care for. But the storage and infrastructure has outlived itself.”

At the top of the list is a financial audit for at least the last three years. As discussed during WPWD’s regular business meeting on Jan. 19, RHR Smith and Co. of Buxton provided Board Treasurer Sonya Tardif an estimate of $5,000 for each time period.

The most expensive item will be contracting with civil engineering firm Gorrill Palmer of South Portland to address issues with a storage tank that was contaminated by E. coli last year when its cover ripped. Gorrill Palmer will be tasked to do a study to determine whether the water reservoir is the right configuration for the system, according to WPWD Operator Bill Gardner.

Gardner has secured a $30,000 grant through Maine’s Drinking Water Program to cover part of the cost. Normally grants from the agency are processed as reimbursements. However, Gardner expects that requirement to be waived, given the degraded state and financial challenges WPWD faces.

Concurrently Gorrill Palmer will survey water pressures and water flow through the system, including West Paris’ 38 hydrants. Besides its poor condition, the system’s lines from the tank are eight inches in diameter but should be 12 inches.

The survey is expected to cost $10,000. The hydrants are of varied makes and ages and at least one, located on Brigg Street, is unusable and unserviceable.

Another major issue of the overall system is meter reading. Most of the meters in place are extremely old. Some have brass or lead materials, in violation of federal law, or are installed in the homes of customers and can’t be accessed when no one is home.

Several of WPWD’s newer meters, known as Sensus equipment, were never installed and even those are so old they are being phased out by the manufacturer and no longer served.

It will cost WPWD at least $30,000 cost to upgrade the meter system, but may be financed with a 10% paid upfront. The supplier Gardner is negotiating with, Kamstrup Water Solutions, will take the unused Sensus meters and apply a $5,400 credit toward the new system that will cover the cost of down payment.

Another major upgrade covered by the loan includes replacing and rewiring the district’s variable frequency drive, estimated at $10,000. The VFD in use operates on just one full flow capacity, an issue that has exacerbated wear and tear on water lines throughout. Its replacement will monitor and adjust volume according to flows and ebbs of demand.

The reservoir, which Gardner put back into service last August after treating its contamination, will undergo further cleaning and receive a new pump roof to better protect it at a cost of about $3,000.

The loan will also enable WPWD to purchase a utility truck with proper tools. In the past operators used their own vehicles and equipment, meaning that when staff turnover occurs the district is left with no means to service customers and carry out maintenance.