Public Works Director Robert E. Ward. (WHAV News photograph.)
Now that a temporary solution is in place, the Haverhill City Council Tuesday turned its attention to a long-term, “resilient” repair to the force sewer main that burst last month sending millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Merrimack River for several days.
After hearing from Mayor Melinda E. Barrett and Public Works Director Robert E. Ward, councilors decided to refer the matter to its Planning and Development Committee at the suggestion of Vice President John A. Michitson. Michitson, who for years has advocated for better long-term planning, said he believes the Council, with the help of city departments, must conduct a systematic risk assessment of not just the city’s aging wastewater system, but other important infrastructure as well.
“President (Timothy J.) Jordan and I, as well other city leaders, have been concerned for some time about the risks posed by aging and vulnerable infrastructure. To me, this event reinforces the need to formalize those concerns through a more structured and preventable approach,” Michitson said.
Michitson’s suggestion to evaluate the city’s aging infrastructure, starting with the wastewater and water systems, was unanimously approved.
On the issue of what still must be done to replace the 42-inch, concrete sewer main, Ward reported two temporary above-ground 24 -inch pipes are carrying the sewage from the city’s pump station to the treatment plant. He said only in the case of a heavy rain does he expect raw sewage to make its way into the river.
Answering a question from Ward 7 Councilor Catherine P. Rogers, Ward said engineers are evaluating whether the 1970s-era line can be repaired or if it is better to replace it.
“Right now, I’m leaning towards replacing the whole line but I think we need to get in there and really look at it,” he said.
Ward said experts are uncertain what causes the sewer pipe to fail in two places during a torrential rain storm Friday, June 26. Evidence suggests there was some type of blow out caused by a spike in pressure, he said. Ward also said officials from both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Protection are pressing the city to find a solution which will prevent a future sewer system failure.
“We’ll be looking at the possibility of some kind of, whether it is utilizing the old pipe or the new pipe or two pipes, or some kind of resilient solution to be able to avoid untreated sewage in the Merrimack River in the future,” Ward said.
Possible repairs include lining the old pipe with a structural liner, replacing the pipe entirely, adding a pipe monitoring system and running two side-by-side pipes. He added, federal and state officials want the city to evaluate the health of the pump station that serves the pipe, which is already on the city’s capital improvement schedule for upgrades this year. He noted the city is under pressure to decide on a permanent fix to the sewer pipe problem because the two 24-inch temporary bypass pipes are being rented at a high cost to the city.
While neither Barrett nor Ward put a price tag on repairs, the city’s federal legislative delegation is working on finding upwards of $50 million in federal grants to help Haverhill upgrade its aging wastewater system. Ward said another possibility, in addition to federal aid and grants, is assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In other business, councilors continued its public hearing on a zoning district for battery storage farms to its Tuesday, Aug. 25, meeting, as the its Planning and Development Committee is meeting on the issue Monday, Aug. 3. The Council’s Public Safety Committee will also take up the issue of electric bike and scooter regulations Wednesday, July 29, at 6 p.m., in the Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. Council Chambers, Haverhill City Hall, 4 Summer St., Haverhill.