The Norfolk Sewer District will reline the sewer pipes along Laurel Way this season. Green Mountain Pipeline Services of Vermont has been picked to perform the work, at a cost of $50–60,000, said Ronald Zanobi, chairman of the Sewer District, at a January 28 meeting.

Norfolk’s sewer pipes are among the oldest in Connecticut. The short sections of clay pipe were laid in 1896 and have since dislodged from the movement of the ground and the action of tree roots. Rainwater seeps into the system, stressing the sewer plant’s capacity. And sewage seeps out. A major effort to reline the pipes is being planned, and the work on Laurel Way is intended as a pilot project.

Zanobi confirmed that the Norfolk Sewer District expects to borrow as much as $3 million to pay for relining pipes in the downtown area, where the system serves 330 users. The district is a separate authority, but the town will have to guarantee the loan.