The town is a few months closer to connecting to the Devens water system. Tighe and Bond engineers met with the Water Commission Aug. 16 to update members on design progress and the status of obtaining the necessary permits and agreements. The plan includes provisions that would allow future expansion of the town’s water district along roads that intersect with Depot Road. The design of the connection at the beginning of Depot Road has yet to be finalized, but it could allow for expansion north along Ayer Road.
Plans must be complete by Oct. 13, the deadline for submissions for low-interest loans from the State Revolving Fund Drinking Water Program. The town has already been approved for a loan for the estimated cost of the project, $4.85 million, at an interest rate of 2%, but it must submit the plans for a project that meets state guidelines by the October deadline.
Mary Danielson of Tighe and Bond told members of the commission that the Devens water connection will be treated as two separate projects—building the pump station and installing the water main. She explained that the two involve different sets of contractors with little overlap.
The pump station, originally planned for the Harvard side of the railroad tracks on land owned by railway company CSX, is now slated to be located on the other side of the tracks on Devens land. Danielson said it will require a small easement, but MassDevelopment “has no qualms” about granting that easement since it has no plans for development there. She explained it will be easier to get the easement than to get permission from CSX to locate the pump station on its land.
The station will contain a skid that holds three pumps, an item that is prefabricated by various manufacturers. Engineer Tom Mahanna said one pump would be sufficient for the town’s daily water needs, and the second and third would be available for heavier usage, such as a fire, or as backup. Danielson said it will be a challenge to get power to the building, but Tighe and Bond electrical engineers are working on that issue. The building will be no bigger than 24 feet by 30 feet and will not be visible from anywhere but the end of Depot Road. “We’re not going to win any design awards with it, but it will serve its purpose,” he said.
The initial plan for connecting the water main to an existing main at Devens was to put it near Salerno Circle, next to the Red Tail Golf Course. But MassDevelopment has plans for that area and asked that the main go under the golf course and connect further north on Marne Street. Danielson said a horizontal directional drill will be used to install the 12-inch main under the golf course. The main will then run down a hill to the pumping station.
The water main will leave the pumping station, go under the railroad tracks, and run down along Depot Road. There will be connection stubs at all of the driveways along Depot Road so that houses can tie into town water. There are about a half dozen houses on a long driveway near the end of Depot Road that would require a main to be run along that driveway. That will not be part of the project, Mahanna said, and it would be up to the town or homeowners to do that work.
The line will continue along Depot Road, under a Route 2 overpass, which will require a Department of Transportation permit because the line will cross its right-of-way. In addition, the overpass structure is listed with the Massachusetts Historical Commission, so the town will need its approval to install the main under that structure.
The design also includes installation of stubs at roads that intersect with Depot, including Prospect Hill, Old Shirley, Craggs, Pattee, and Under Pin Hill roads. Those stubs would allow for future expansion of the town’s water district. There are various culverts and storm drains that the main will have to go under, and a large box culvert over Bowers Brook that the main will have to go over.
Ayer Road tie-in could allow expansion
The new main will connect to the town’s existing water main on Ayer Road. Mahanna said Tighe and Bond is discussing the design of the tie-in at Ayer Road with Town Administrator Tim Bragan. That tie-in could possibly allow for expanding the water district north into the commercial district. He said the design will also go to Fire Chief Rick Sicard for review of hydrant placements. In addition, Tighe and Bond is working with MassDevelopment on the water agreement, which will determine how much the town will pay for water from Devens.
Connecting to Devens water will release the town from relying on its two wells on Pond Road, which have been contaminated with coliform multiple times over the past few years. The wells have also both tested positive for PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) annually since 2020. Devens water is chlorinated and treated for PFAS. The water connection would also provide increased fire protection for the town.
The commission will meet again near the end of September to go over the design that will be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection to secure the loan. Danielson said she anticipates the final design to be completed in January and is targeting early February for putting both projects out to bid, provided all the permits are in place. She said she’s working on the last permit that the town will need from CSX, which has been very responsive so far. “It’s seemingly going ok,” she said.
