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Town outlines Tapen Street utility upgrades, including tide-control valve and pipe replacements
Summary
Manchester-by-the-Sea DPW and consultants presented a Tapen Street project to replace aging sewer, water and drain lines, install an inline tide-control check valve and add stormwater treatment; residents asked for follow-up on downstream pipe capacity and the town confirmed upsizing and offered neighborhood meetings.
Evan Veran, an environmental consultant working with the town, presented plans for Tapen Street’s surface and utility improvements, saying the work will trench and replace sewer, water and drain pipes, install an inline tide-control (tide-flex) valve and add a stormwater treatment unit to reduce saltwater intrusion and suspended solids into the harbor. "Everything will return back to existing conditions only improved after the end of the project," Veran said.
The project scope calls for erosion controls, a temporary utility bypass, removal-and-replace of deteriorated cast-iron water and sewer pipes, new electrical conduits and new street lighting, and reuse of reclaimed pavement. Brendan Pyrum of the engineering team said all structures in the low area will have gasketed, bolted covers and that the project specifies C900 plastic pipe and gasketed manhole covers to resist saltwater deterioration.
Residents pressed the team about where redirected flows will go. A neighbor asked, "Where does it then go? Does it then go in the pipe that goes through our property?" The DPW confirmed the downstream pipe will be upsized to carry the revised flows and said they will meet with affected homeowners to review details and restoration plans.
Commissioners asked about flood-resilience measures. The team said the tide-control valve will be installed inside the pipe with upstream and downstream manholes to allow maintenance, and a sediment-removal unit will be installed to treat stormwater before it reaches the harbor. The commission closed the hearing and approved the order of conditions, asking staff to ensure the project’s special conditions reflect the pipe materials, tide-control detail and restoration commitments.
Next steps: the DPW and its engineers will finalize permit plans and the town will schedule on-site coordination with affected property owners to confirm pipe alignments and restoration prior to construction.
