Hooksett officials say Merrimack Street pump station, local pipes at capacity; infrastructure funding planned

Hooksett sewer staff told the Selectboard on Feb. 12 that the Merrimack Street pump station and several downstream pipelines are at capacity, and no additional sewer capacity will be issued for developments in the affected area until a new pipeline is installed.

The lack of capacity affects multiple projects clustered near Merrimack Street and Thompson Avenue, officials said. That group of projects includes the University Heights townhouses (the last 20 of which were already allocated capacity), several proposed apartment projects and a sand-and-gravel developer; one developer who prepaid for more connections will be limited to 50 living units until the piping is upgraded.

The statement from sewer staff followed an update about area development. “There’s no capacity left in that area. There’s a pipeline that needs to be put in before any more building is done in that area,” sewer department staff told the board. The department said the plant can accept additional flow but the limiting factor is pipe size and the Merrimack Street pump station’s receiving capacity.

Why it matters: Without downstream piping improvements, the town cannot authorize additional sewer connections in a cluster of pending projects. Developers who previously bought capacity — in…