The city of Oxford is ready to begin its first phase of the Punkin Water transfer.

On Tuesday, the Oxford Board of Aldermen officially recognized that the city has the ability and capacity to transfer service from Punkin Water Association to the city. This motion comes after a 30-day extension to discuss a rate structure with the Public Service Commission.

Although one has not been set, Chief Operating Officer Bart Robinson said officials have a clearer idea of the potential rate.

“We’ve got a path forward, it appears, as far as rate structure goes,” Robinson said.

The rate applied to customers once the transfer is completed will be lower than what they currently pay to Punkin.

With preparations in place, the Aldermen moved to open bids for the construction related to the transfer.

“Part of the assimilation of Punkin Water to the city system required five construction projects,” said Robinson. “We’ve combined two pipeline projects into one to create six. One’s connecting the system and the big one’s a booster station allowing us to serve past a certain limit.”

The construction project is currently estimated at $2.7 million. Officials anticipate that Punkin Water members will be connected to the city of Oxford by late November to early December 2022.