Committee advances water, MWRA and $151M public investment plan; members press on PFAS treatment, lead‑line replacement and park projects

The Finance Committee voted to forward the Cambridge Water Department’s FY26 request and related appropriations, and it advanced a bundled public investments program that totals roughly $151 million across multiple categories — infrastructure, parks, streets and school repairs — after detailed hearings on water quality, CSO planning and park projects.

Water Department managing director Mark Gallagher described source, treatment and distribution responsibilities: Fresh Pond Reservation, three reservoirs, the Walter J. Sullivan treatment plant and 200 miles of transmission and distribution mains with roughly 16,000 service connections. Gallagher explained the city’s approach to PFAS and that the utility uses granular activated carbon (GAC) filters; the department rebid the contract recently and reported the GAC contract came in slightly lower than prior costs (from about $1.5 million down to about $1.2 million annually) and that quarterly PFAS testing had shown nondetect results after a recent carbon exchange.

Gallagher and staff said the department will continue to meet or exceed state regulatory expectations; they noted the state can remain stricter than the federal EPA. The water department confirmed it will continue using GAC and will perform annual carbon changes to maintain low PFAS levels. Members asked about disposal/handling of spent carbon; staff said the contract contains disposal requirements and that disposal follows regulatory controls.

On lead service replacements, staff said the city is coordinating closely with DPW to align water‑main work, lead service removal and street resurfacing. The department said it will participate in DPW’s weekly city construction coordination meetings to avoid duplicated digging and to optimize timing with state Chapter 90 street restorations.

Committee members pressed for the status of a drought management plan; Gallagher said the department has an existing 2016 plan and is updating it with consultant CDM; staff anticipated a draft this fall and final completion approximately a year later.

The committee also heard a detailed presentation and discussion of the public investments package (total roughly $151 million over five years). Key items in the program include municipal facilities and building projects, parks and open‑space capital (including Ahearn Field and Danahee Park), complete streets, lead service replacements and combined sewer overflow (CSO) control work. Committee members sought clarifications about Ahearn Field — a proposed multi‑component park project with synthetic turf, playgrounds and lighting — and asked for cost breakdowns and assurances on material safety standards. Staff said turf costs account for a portion of the estimated $7.5 million Ahearn appropriation and that the city is specifying PFAS‑free turf products and lighter, more‑cooling infill materials where appropriate. Staff also explained that a larger Danahee Park renovation will be phased to keep much of the park open and that the Linear Park rehabilitation is ready to be bid based on earlier community design work.

On sewer and CSO planning the committee heard that the city is preparing a CSO control plan due in draft by year‑end and final in about a year; staff said project selection and funding share discussions with the MWRA and neighboring communities remain ongoing and that some of the public investments shown in the five‑year plan are placeholders pending final CSO strategy and interagency funding agreements.

The committee recorded roll calls forwarding the Water Department and MWRA assessments and recommended the public investments plan for council consideration. Members asked for more granular project schedules and funding source breakdowns when the items return to council.