Neighbors, council praise progress on Douglas Road wet‑weather relief tank; construction detour planned for May 2026

Longtime neighborhood advocates and councilors praised a planned wet‑weather storage tank on Douglas Road that the Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility is proposing to reduce recurring flooding and sanitary backups.

Resident Lynn Daley, who said her family has advocated for relief for more than 60 years, thanked the utility and city staff for the engineering report and outreach. Wastewater utility director Aaron Fox provided a detailed report and map to residents and councilors; the manager noted the project was funded through a mix of ARPA and city capital allocations.

Councilors said the project will require about 15–18 months of construction and that a temporary detour will close Douglas Road for roughly 10 days in May 2026 for a contractor traffic plan. Councilor comments described prior storm seasons when residents experienced sewage backing up into basements; the tank is intended to store peak wet‑weather flows and reduce such events. One councilor described the outcome as allowing the neighborhood to be "two steps forward" after a disruptive construction period.

The manager and DPW staff said they will coordinate advance neighbor notifications and work with MassDOT on detour signing. Councilors asked staff to ensure timely resident communications and to update the council on mitigation measures during construction.

Clarifying details: the project was described as designed to handle storms up to a 25‑year event; councilors said construction will take about 15–18 months with a 10‑day detour in May 2026; funding sources cited included ARPA monies and city capital funds that the council had previously approved.

The council accepted the manager’s response and multiple speakers thanked staff and the regional utility for advancing the project.