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Consultant presents phase 1 and 2 pump‑station upgrade plans, flood‑hardening and multimillion‑dollar cost estimates
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Summary
A consulting team outlined recommended upgrades for seven pump stations including flood‑proofing measures for Fairfield Beach, Pine Creek and Center Street stations; phase 1 scope targets the most flood‑impacted sites and phase 2 covers remaining stations, with contingency‑heavy cost estimates and next steps for geotechnical work and permitting.
A consultant presented the completed study for upgrades to seven Fairfield pump stations and gave the Water Pollution Control Authority a status report on recommended work, timelines and cost estimates at the Jan. 15 meeting.
The consultant, Prashant (who introduced himself as senior project manager), summarized that the original 2018 station study identified eight stations, with the current effort splitting the remaining seven into phase 1 (three stations: Fairfield Beach, Center Street and Pine Creek) and phase 2 (four stations: Toll House, Big River, Eastfield and Willow Street). The presentation recommended converting several older compressed‑air (pressure) style pump stations to submersible stations to improve operator access and safety, replacing aged pumps and electrical infrastructure, adding generator hook‑ups or new generators, and replacing or rehabilitating force mains where structural or leak risk was identified.
Flood‑resiliency measures were a prominent focus: Fairfield Beach sits in a VE flood zone and the consultant recommended demolishing above‑grade structures, raising critical electrical spaces above FEMA base elevations (the presentation cited a target of Elevation 18 for Fairfield Beach), installing flood doors and installing micropile foundations to support an elevated electrical building and generator. Center Street and Pine Creek were identified in an AE zone and similar mitigation—new elevated electrical rooms, flood doors, pump replacements and force main replacement—was recommended.
On force mains, the consultant recommended open‑cut and CIPP (cured‑in‑place pipe) replacement strategies for portions that run under Route 15 or where inspection identified potential leaks; for Mill River pump station the report found the currently active force main had been tested and up to seven potential leaks were identified by CCTV, prompting replacement recommendations and contingency planning.
The study has been submitted in draft and the firm said it has received town comments; next steps include geotechnical work, more detailed cost refinement, and coordination on permitting, easements and aesthetics (commissioners asked that design responses consider neighborhood impacts). The consultant’s cost estimate for phase 2 included a 40% contingency given uncertainties and bundling of similar stations; staff told the commission these projects will also influence the draft capital improvement plan and long‑term financial model.
No capital funding was approved at the meeting; the commission received the study and asked staff and the consultant to identify next steps including geotechnical investigations and more refined cost estimates for inclusion in the capital plan.
