Acton committee presents stormwater asset study and funding choices as aging culverts and impaired streams surface

At a May meeting of the Acton Finance Committee, the Acton Water Resources Advisory Committee presented an asset-management study and asked the public whether stormwater management should remain funded from the general fund or be moved into a dedicated fund.

The Water Resources Advisory Committee estimates the townmaintains thousands of stormwater assets and that at least 30 structures are high-priority for renewal or replacement. Committee chair Joseph Robb said the engineering study by Woodard & Curran inspected about 63 percent of Actonstormwater assets and recommended a mix of short- and long-term work. "The fundamental question that we're asking is should we provide stormwater services in competition with other town needs via the general fund or should we separate the funding of stormwater management so it doesn't compete with other services, such as through a dedicated fund," Robb said.

The study documented roughly 3,511 catch basins, 511 outfalls, 74 culverts, 49 detention basins and about 84 miles of storm drains and found specific sites with advanced deterioration. Robb cited one culvert in North Acton with an engineering replacement cost estimate of about $760,000 and noted the report ranked seven storm drains and 21 culverts as high priority for near-term renewal or replacement.…