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Council weighs short- and long-term fixes after intermittent overflows at Upper East End pump station
Summary
Staff presented inflow/infiltration as the likely cause of intermittent overflows at the Upper East End pump station and proposed either adding a 20,000‑gallon storage tank (~$100,000–$150,000 installed) or a larger underground tank (several hundreds of thousands); council urged a long-term solution given legal exposure to a nearby property owner.
Town staff told the council that the Upper East End pump station occasionally overflows during major weather events because storm water is entering the sanitary system (inflow) and groundwater is seeping in (infiltration), creating peaks that exceed processing and storage capacity. Engineers and staff described two mitigation strategies: install an additional aboveground 20,000‑gallon storage tank (rough installed estimate $100,000–$150,000) or pursue a larger underground storage option that would cost substantially more.
“We've identified two ways of mitigating the issue,” staff said, describing storage expansion and targeted inflow/infiltration reduction such as smoke testing and incentives for pump inspection. Council members emphasized the town should seek a durable fix: “Band‑Aids don't fix problems,” one member said, urging a thorough engineering review before committing to a small‑tank solution. Council also flagged potential legal exposure: a nearby homeowner (identified in discussion as Mr. Jones) has previously litigated and staff warned that repeated overflows could prompt another suit; staff will pursue additional investigation and prioritize fixes that reduce the town's liability.
