With a tough financial climate still evident throughout Massachusetts, ongoing and proposed projects in Wareham seem set to come under greater scrutiny from residents.

At Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, residents used the time allocated for "citizens' participation" to express their concern about the monies being authorized for sewer projects and to suggest that monetary items on future Town Meeting warrants be in a language that can be understood by all attendees - not just by those involved in government.

The ongoing work on the Oakdale and Cromesett sewer project is approaching the final phases with four new pumping stations now installed and the final connections being tested in the next week. A resident expressed concern about increasing project costs and worried that officials may be rubberstamping payment to contractors on the advice of engineering firm Camp Dresser & McKee.

The Selectmen Tuesday were due to authorize a payment of $155,432 for work done in the Oakdale and Cromesett neighborhoods that was not originally anticipated when the contract began.

Mike Guidice, representing CDM, was asked by Selectman Michael Schneider for a breakdown in costs. Further questions from Selectman Cara Winslow revealed that the price included a payment of $5,990.53 to a contractor for replacement of an incorrectly installed water main.

Winslow was concerned that the town was being charged for repairs to water mains that could have been avoided if they had been installed properly and also noted that “a leaking pipe is not the responsibility of the town" - rather, it is the responsibility of the Wareham Fire District.

Guidice agreed that any repair that was required due to a faulty installation should not be paid for by the town but believed that the contractor that did the repair work should be paid. It was ultimately decided that the $5,990.53 should not be allocated to the bill in front of Selectmen on Tuesday and that amended paperwork would be submitted to the board.