MONSON – Town officials hope to convince federal and state officials to help the Monson Utilities District pay for a major overhaul of its water storage and distribution system and at the same time help the town’s largest employer replace its dilapidated fire protection system.

Of the $2.8 million needed to do both projects, about $2 million is to replace the district’s aging storage facilities, water mains and pumps that serve about 140 customers.

The remainder would be used to provide water protection to Moosehead Manufacturing Co. and to make general system upgrades at the plant. Without the upgrades, the plant is in danger of losing its fire protection insurance, according to Town Manager Robert Nicholson.

“It’s such a mammoth project,” Nicholson said Friday of the two projects.

It involves a complete makeover of the utilities district, provides for wet fire hydrants which will increase the value of properties in town but reduce insurance costs for many homeowners, and it will help Moosehead Manufacturing Co. continue to survive and succeed in the furniture-making business in town, he said.

State, town, utilities district and furniture company representatives, along with Piscataquis County Economic Development Council officials, plan to discuss the projects at 1 p.m. Friday, March 31, at the Eastern Maine Development Corp. office in Bangor.

No town funds are involved in these two project requests, according to Nicholson. If grant awards are made to the town, residents must vote whether to accept them. Only if the wet fire hydrants are installed would the town see a yearly hydrant fee, he said.

If grants and low-interest loans are not available for projects, the work will be done in stages, according to Nicholson. He believes the town has a good chance at the grants because 54.1 percent of residents are in the low- to moderate-income level and the work at Moosehead would help preserve jobs.

“This project will bring the community of Monson fire protection for its downtown area, a new storage and distribution system for potable water, and preserve 88 local jobs in an area where there is nothing more scarce than jobs,” Nicholson said.