Click image for Haverhill City Council agenda.
Haverhill city councilors plan tonight to hear a rundown of city projects meant to reduce risks posed by the natural environment.
They are mostly water-related.
Of the 18 listed, roughly half are devoted to flooding alone, while most of the rest address it in part. Overseen by city departments—and sometimes in coordination with state or regional agencies—they range from zoning changes for drinking water protection to the Ralph T. Basiliere Bridge replacement.
Police Chief Robert P. Pistone, also the city’s emergency management director, will present on the city’s section of the 2024 Merrimack Valley Region Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is currently in the public comment stage. First written in 2008 and updated in 2016, the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission must revise it once again to maintain access to federal relief money.
The city declared a state of emergency last August after flooding caused parts of the city sewer system to collapse. All told, the city and its residents suffered an estimated $8.5 million in damage. With higher water levels in recent years, people living in the Wood School-area told WHAV their yards and basements flood regularly.
Pistone headed the group in charge of documenting Haverhill’s efforts to mitigate natural hazards. Achievements since 2016 include zoning to protect the water supply, a local law for stormwater management, upgrades to the downtown flood protection system and stronger legal tools to use public lands to address water-related issues.
Separating combined stormwater and sewage pipes is listed as the highest priority among the 14 projects currently underway. If overwhelmed during a storm, the system discharges a mix of rainwater and sewage into the river. Initiated in 2022 by the city’s Public Works department, the Planning Commission estimates the total cost to be $40 million in the current draft of the 2024 risk assessment. A mix of federal and local money will pay the sum.
An upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant, also high on the list, will further increase stormwater capacity. Other projects include improving drainage systems and culverts, repairing small bridges, ensuring proper dam maintenance, preventing erosion near water bodies and putting emergency generators in important city buildings.
The Haverhill City Council meets tonight at 7, remotely and in-person at the Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. Council Chambers, room 202, Haverhill City Hall, 4 Summer St. As a public service, 97.9 WHAV plans to carry the meeting live.