An indefinite suspension imposed on the firm laying a private sewer line from the Field Club to the Edgartown sewage treatment plant was lifted yesterday after 48 hours when wastewater, water and highway departments declared satisfaction that the job could be continued safely and within regulations.

Farrissey Telecom, a construction firm hired by the developers of the high-end members-only Field Club, had hit service lines on three occasions during the previous week, breaching contract rules for the excavation work and prompting selectmen to suspend the work.

A letter sent Tuesday from Edgartown town administrator Pamela Dolby informed Andrew Farrissey, owner of Farrissey Telecom that the license for the excavation, excavating parts of Katama Road, Clevelandtown Road and the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road to link the Field Club with the Edgartown wastewater system would be suspended until the concerns of water, wastewater and highways departments are satisfied.

Mr. Farrissey confirmed yesterday morning that his team was back at work and, speaking to the Gazette by telephone, he downplayed the suspension. “It was basically procedural. They came out and looked at a few things and everything’s resolved,” he said.

Out of a possible 16, the drill hit three service lines which are the tributary water lines running to individual homes from water mains.

“It’s a terrible average,” said Edgartown highway superintendent Stuart F. Fuller at Tuesday’s selectmen’s meeting.

Selectman Arthur Smadbeck voiced grave concerns over public health and safety issues.

“This is making me very nervous,” he said. Though water superintendent Fred Domont initially suggested a suspension of three days, Mr. Smadbeck made a motion for an indefinite suspension, to be lifted only when the relevant town departments are satisfied that the work was safe to continue.

“I’m not interested in three days,” Mr. Smadbeck said, adding, “This could be a public health disaster.”

Mr. Farrissey’s company is using a directional drilling technique to lay the pipe, which means that rather than creating a trench in which the pipes are laid and then filled over, workers can dig holes at intervals and drill horizontally, pushing a single length of pipe toward the town sewer.

Under state regulations sewage pipes are required to be set back a distance of 10 feet. If contractors need to cross the water line they must be no less than 18 inches below the other pipe.

As there are sections of the Edgartown water pipe dating back to the 1960s in this area, there is some guesswork as to location.

Visiting the site Wednesday with Shane Ben David, foreman for the water department, Mr. Domont inspected the 16 crossing lines. Nine crossings were measured deep enough, three were adjusted to proper levels and four crossing lines which were within the 18-inch limit but could not be adjusted, were encased in a protective layer of concrete at Mr. Domont’s instruction.

“They were very professional, quick and cooperative,” said Mr. Domont of the contractors, speaking yesterday by telephone.

Gerret C. Conover, a principle owner of the Field Club, said the project was not the responsibility of the Field Club. “The contractor is on schedule. He’s his own project engineer, and it’s the contractor’s responsibility to work that out. It’s his plan and he needs to bring it all home,” Mr. Conover said.

In other business Tuesday the Outerland night club was granted a new seasonal liquor license, having given up its year-round license last fall.

Proprietor Barry Rosenthal, who cited financial constraints when abandoning the club’s year-round plan last November, also said he plans to end the 18-plus nights, where people under 21 but over 18 were admitted with a hand stamp. All-age shows with no alcohol will continue. “It’s really important for us for kids to hear live music,” said Mr. Rosenthal yesterday. “But kids are kids and they’d wash off the stamps in the bathroom or get someone else to buy them a drink.”

Outerland will open April 24 and is scheduled to stay open through November.