NORTH SMITHFIELD – With a warning about the risk of potential catastrophic failure, town officials have approved a $400,000 design phase for long-overdue repairs to the town’s aging sewer infrastructure.

The Town Council voted unanimously on Monday to fund the design work using money from the sewer reserve fund. The plan will prepare the town to rehabilitate all nine pump stations and two metering stations, addressing long-standing concerns that the system could collapse without intervention.

William Dorry, chairperson of the North Smithfield Sewer Commission , said the current infrastructure dates back to the late 1970s and early 1980s and was never supported by an ongoing maintenance plan.

“The bigger risk for us is not doing anything with the sewer system, because at some point, th

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