Uxbridge considers two sites and code constraints for East Street booster pump station

The Town of Uxbridge Water and Sewer Commission on Sept. 8, 2025 heard consultants present two options for replacing and upgrading the tired East Street booster pumping station, and asked the team for more precise capacity, cost and easement information before selecting a site.

Ben Sherman, the project lead named by the commission, told members the design phase has resumed after delays tied to work with the Department of Environmental Protection and an earlier proposed Millville connection. DEP initially targeted an emerging-contaminants (PFAS) grant to support work on E Street; Sherman said that roughly $1,200,000 in grant funding was redirected to the town's water treatment plant after the Millville portion did not proceed but the town still expects grant dollars to support water projects.

Consultant Greg May summarized two candidate locations on Blackstone Street. A hybrid below‑grade/above‑grade option at 310 Blackstone Street was estimated at about $1.2 million (construction figure excludes planned water‑main work), while work centered near the existing facility at 348 Blackstone Street was slightly lower, about $1.15 million. May told commissioners the 310 option would avoid a bathroom on site by keeping the structure under the 200‑square‑foot threshold; the alternative at 348 would require more attention to appearance and easement expansion.

A recent change in Massachusetts plumbing rules—identified in the meeting as 248 CMR 10—requires a dedicated bathroom in unoccupied structures larger than 200 square feet, a constraint consultants said has forced design teams to re-evaluate options such as below‑grade construction or adding septic and restroom facilities. "This is the Massachusetts plumbing code. It's 248 CMR 10," a consultant said during the discussion.

Commissioners and residents pressed the consultants for numbers showing how many additional homes the upgrade would support and how the station would perform under fire‑flow demands. A technical presenter said existing pumps discharge at roughly 150 gallons per minute in current configuration and cannot meet recommended fire flow for the area (about 750 gpm). The proposed substructure would include high‑demand pumps capable of meeting that peak flow, plus redundancy (two running pumps and one spare), and the design is being sized for build‑out to 2040. The consultants committed to follow up with exact projected household counts and a detailed hydraulic analysis.

On funding, Sherman said ARPA monies were used to fund design work only; construction funding would be sought separately, likely via a borrowing authorization at town meeting next spring. Sherman also said the town secured $956,000 from a McGovern‑sponsored federal project list, an amount that reduces but does not cover the preliminary planning estimate the town has carried for many years.

Consultants said they aim to advertise the job for bids on a January 15 schedule if design progress and site selection proceed in the coming weeks. Commissioners asked the team to deliver updated 100% design drawings and full construction estimates well before the town meeting so the board and town can assess the budget, easement negotiations and any permitting or septic needs.

The commission did not select a site at the meeting; it requested the additional technical details, build‑out numbers and updated cost figures and scheduled further consideration at upcoming meetings.