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Select Board approves water and sewer connection for Regency at Heather Hill, staff flags infiltration, requests consultant funding
Summary
The North Attleborough Select Board approved a water and sewer connection for the 384-unit Regency at Heather Hill. Town staff said the system can absorb the projected peak flow but noted seasonal infiltration risks and requested $100,000 to hire a consultant to target further infiltration projects.
The North Attleborough Select Board voted to approve a water and sewer application for the Regency at Heather Hill development, board members said during a brief discussion that paired the approval with staff warnings about ongoing infiltration into the town sewer system.
Town staff told the board that a pipe from a pond at 29 West Bacon is sending roughly 30,000 gallons a day into the sewer system and described the problem as part of a broader infiltration-and-inflow (I&I) issue. "It's estimated at 30,000 gallons a day comes into our system," the director said, and asked the board to allocate $100,000 to hire a consultant to prepare a targeted plan to reduce I&I.
The board was also presented with metered capacity figures. Staff said the Moran Street meter shows average flows and that the system has a flow capacity of 730,000 gallons; staff said that leaves room for added development under normal conditions. A staff member explained how the projected flow from the Regency at Heather Hill was calculated under state rules: "When we estimate the sewer flow from a new development, we always use the MassDEP Title 5 regulations," the staff member said, noting the Title 5 unit rate for an over-55 unit is 150 gallons per day. For 384 units, that produces a maximum-day estimate of about 57,600 gallons per day; the staff member added that average daily flow is typically closer to half of the Title 5 maximum-day number.
During questioning, a Select Board member asked how much buffer exists under the 730,000-gallon ceiling and whether peak events could approach capacity. The director replied the system has capacity "for the most part, 10 months out of the year" and that spring high groundwater can push flows toward or over capacity, reinforcing the argument for targeted I&I projects.
A Select Board member moved to approve the Regency at Heather Hill water and sewer application; a second was made, no further discussion was recorded, and the board approved the application by voice vote. The meeting record shows a voice "Aye" but does not include a roll-call tally. The $100,000 consultant request was presented during the discussion; the transcript does not record a separate vote or formal board action on that funding request.
The board proceeded to the next item after the approval; staff said they will continue to identify infiltration projects that could be funded using development-related payments toward I&I work.
