Southborough committee presses state agencies for funding options to build municipal wastewater system

The Town of Southborough Wastewater Study Committee met virtually Jan. 23 with state and regional officials to review work to date and to press for funding options to build municipal wastewater capacity along the Route 9 corridor.

The committee’s chair, Sam Sivers, said the town faces “a local tax revenue problem. We don't have enough commercial tax revenue in town,” and argued that municipal wastewater capacity is “a key to unlock this development potential.” The meeting included representatives from the office of state Sen. Eldridge, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust, and the MWRA Wastewater Advisory Committee.

The committee and presenters summarized recent work and constraints. Al Hamilton, a select board member and former committee chair, said Southborough currently has no municipal wastewater system and that “building we have, we do believe that it is possible to build a wastewater plant and groundwater discharge. It's technically feasible, and we have identified several sites.” Hamilton gave the committee’s…