Edgartown officials are working together to complete an unexpected excavation for a sewer tie-in on North Water street ahead of the May 15 excavation moratorium.

The moratorium is part of a larger restriction on outdoor construction during the summer months intended to keep the town peaceful and easy to navigate when the tourist season is in full flush. In a presentation to the select board on Monday, applicant Nick Peters apologized for the inconvenient timing.

“I know we’re on kind of a tight timeline here,” he said.

Edgartown water superintendent William Chapman said the project on North Water street first came to his attention two weeks ago, and that he had visited the site three times since then. The site had previously undergone some excavation work for a new sprinkler system.

“It seems like the biggest problem here is the water department was totally circumvented,” Mr. Chapman said of the previous job.

To get the sewer tie-in done quickly, Mr. Peters said he’ll dig a test hole on the sidewalk side between the Edgartown Inn and the town library to see if the tie-in could be completed without going too far into the road.

“Then we could have it cleaned up this week,” he said.

The deadline is particularly tight because of a similar excavation happening the same week on Dock street, town administrator James Hagerty said.

“Worst case scenario, you don’t want to have Dock street and North Water street both shut down,” he said. “With the Chappy ferry that’s an absolute no-go.”

Select board member Margaret Serpa encouraged Mr. Peters to work with the town highway department and police department to keep the project on track. She motioned to approve the excavation provided he keep the town abreast, which the select board unanimously approved.

“Get out the shovels and don’t hit anything,” selectman Mike Donaroma said.