Winchendon scrambles for funds to repair main water pipeline before it fails
WINCHENDON ― The town water supply is in jeopardy, thanks to a 160-year-old main waterline that is close to failure.
The pipeline, which supplies the entire town, is 50 years past its official lifespan, has experienced several breaks in recent months, and is leaking consistently. The main waterline supplies water from the Ashburnham-Winchendon Water Filtration Plant in Ashburnham.
According to Brian Croteau, director of Winchendon Public Works Department, the pipe leaks approximately 40% of the water flowing through it, which is three times more than permitted under state regulations.
Croteau said that in the past year, the amount of water leaking has increased, and damage created by the pipe bursting has worsened due to the age of the infrastructure. The official life span of the water pipes is 110 years.
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On Thursday, Jan. 5, two water pipes under Sherbert Road and West Street broke early in the morning creating flooding and damage to the road. The water pipeline under Sherbert Road supplies the town with 1 million gallons of water daily.
"The crack in the line was approximately three and a half feet. We have to cut that section and replace it with a new section of pipe and put it together with mechanical fittings," Croteau said on Jan. 5. "The break came in at 5:30 in the morning. Crews are just finishing up now at 4 p.m. on the first break and the second break took about 16 hours."
Capital projects have been put off for years
Winchendon has several major capital projects that have been backlogged for years; waiting until now has made these projects more expensive to complete. This has put the town in a position to experience infrastructure failure if town officials don't address these problems as soon as they can, said Town Manager Justin Sultzbach.
"We have a lot of aging infrastructure that unfortunately wasn't addressed for a really long time and honestly, it was mostly due to budgetary constraints," he said. "We are not a terribly wealthy community and these projects kind of add up, but the downside is, the longer you put them off, the more expensive they become."
Replacement costs are $9.5 million
At a special town meeting in October, voters approved for town officials to apply to the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust fund that allocates low-interest loans to municipalities. The $9.5 million covers the cost of design, construction, and equipment of the Winchendon main water line.
Besides applying for the low-interest loan, Sultzbach plans to reduce the $9.5 million loan by seeking additional funds from state, federal, and local grants. Town officials are seeking funding assistance through Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, Inc. The Town Manager's office is working on the application, and they hope to receive $1 million from the foundation to put towards the $9.5 million replacement project.
In addition, Sultzbach is currently working with state Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik and Congresswoman Lori Trahan to pursue additional federal and state funding for the pressing water line construction.
Recently, Trahan secured $500,000 from a federal grant to cover the cost to replace a smaller water pipeline in Winchendon. Trahan said she is committed to work with Winchendon town leaders to get this main waterline project done so residents don't need to worry about the quality of their drinking water.
Zlotnik is advocating for Winchendon at the state level. He is helping Sultzbach prepare for a hearing with the board of the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust fund on Thursday, Jan. 19.
"We've been advocating to the board to allocate a million dollars to help cover the final portion of the project," Zlotnik said. "Right now, we're preparing to make our case to the board of directors of the trust fund to try to get the money to get the construction going."
The Mass Clean Water Trust fund helps underfunded cities and towns pay for large water infrastructure projects similar to the Winchendon water pipeline issue. The trust fund is managed by the State Treasurer's Office.
Timetable for replacement
Croteau said that while there isn't a solid date when the pipeline will completely fail, town officials know that they need to complete this replacement project as soon as they can.
Town officials said construction will not start until all necessary funding is obtained. After the trust fund board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 19, the town will know if the Mass Clean Water Trust fund will lend it any money for the project. As soon as funds are collected, the construction can begin, said Sultzbach.
"If [the town's main waterline] goes down, the whole town's water goes down," Sultzbach said. "From time to time, there can be water out in different sections of town, one pipe or another goes down but about if the main pipe goes down, everything goes down."
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Winchendon seeks $9.5 million to replace century old water main
