Workers completed the town's water line project a week ago, finishing three weeks ahead of schedule, and some houses and businesses are already getting their water from the eight-inch pipes they installed.

The $460,000 project, funded by a 75 percent federal grant, may also prove cheaper than expected. Final figures aren't in yet, but "thanks to the good work of the Water Commission, this is one of the few government projects that is coming in under budget," said commission member Cliff McGinnes.

The new pipe runs along Ocean Avenue from the junction with Connecticut Avenue to the police station, and then along Beach Avenue to the town garage. Another section runs the length of Chapel Street, replacing a two-inch pipe with an eight-inch pipe and completing a loop.

"It's better to have a standard-sized loop [all pipes the same diameter] for equalizing pressure and for better flow — it keeps the water clearer," McGinnes explained.

The crew from Boyle and Fogarty Co. of Smithfield started work Sept. 24, digging a four-foot deep trench in which to lay the line. Along the way, McGinnes said, they installed various outlets such as fire hydrants and stubs for future expansion to New Harbor.