Statement by Scott Johnstone, GM of Morrisville Water & Light, Regarding Significant State Investment in Morrisville's Water System

Morrisville Water and Light is grateful to the State of Vermont for awarding $3.2 million to the Lamoille County Planning Commission to strengthen and modernize our municipal water system. After the major floods of 2023 and 2024 severely damaged two of our wells, destroyed our backup generator, and threatened the recharge area that supplies our drinking water, it became clear that our system needed long-term, resilient solutions, not just short-term repairs.

This Community Development Block Grant funding supports a comprehensive plan to secure Morrisville’s water supply. We will replace a flood-prone well with a new well outside the flood zone, protect and elevate the infrastructure at another well, install a new backup generator on higher ground, and armor the riverbank near the Tenney Bridge to keep the Lamoille River from cutting directly across our well field.

These improvements will make our system far more resilient, protect public health, and ensure that we can continue delivering safe, reliable water even as extreme weather becomes more frequent. We appreciate the partnership of both the State and the Lamoille County Planning Commission to invest in this critical work and we remain committed to serving the people of Morrisville with safe, dependable, and affordable water.”

###