By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The town will pursue a USDA grant to rehabilitate a water line in the eastern part of town, but work likely won't start until 2019.

The board on Wednesday voted to go after funding through the Preliminary Planning Grant (PPG) program and spend $17,000 on a service agreement with Tisdel Associates.

The project would fix a troubled waterline that Highway Superintendent Frank Diagostino said includes North Raquette Road, around the Aldi's area, a portion of Trippany Road and sections of state Route 131.

Aaron Jervis from Tisdel said the project will cost $2.5 to $2.8 million. If the town doesn't want to come up with that cash, they need to get loans, grants or bond.

Whether they chose to go with the USDA programs or get their own bonds, Diagostino said they still wouldn't be able to begin building until next year.

“Either way you go for bonding or USDA, you’re still going to wait for next year, pretty much," he said.

Jervis said the main downside to the USDA program is lots of paperwork.

“I’ve been through the USDA process a number of times. It is paperwork," he said. “Really it’s a good program.

“You don’t get the potential for grant funding when you do the straight bond route."