Published in the April 7, 2017 edition
MELROSE — The City of Melrose’s Public Works Department has started the first phase of a sanitary sewer investigation program throughout the city.
The purpose of the project is to identify problem areas of the sewer system that are in need of rehabilitation and/or repair in an effort to prevent infiltration from entering into the pipes. Infiltration is clean water from below the ground, known as groundwater), that enters the sewer system through defective sewer pipes and structures. This “clean” water takes up space or capacity in a pipe that would normally be available for wastewater. It can cause the pipe and its service connections to back-up and potentially overflow during extreme wet weather conditions, and it costs the city’s sewer ratepayers money to send to the MWRA sewer system.
One step in this program is to conduct flow isolation. Flow isolation is a method of quantifying the amount of infiltration in a sanitary sewer system. Flows in the system are measured during off-peak times, typically between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. Normally people are sleeping during this time and if there is flow in the sewer system, it can be assumed to be largely infiltration.
Beginning on Sunday, April 9, 2017, crews from Inland Waters, Inc. of Johnston, Rhode Island, will be present in the neighborhoods between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. A representative from Weston and Sampson Engineers, Inc., a wastewater consultant, and/or a representative from the city will also be present for the duration of the flow isolation.
It is likely that residents will see trucks and workers present in the street during these hours. The workers will be required to remove the existing sewer manhole covers to enter the sewer system and some minor noise disturbances may result. It is expected that all of the flow isolation will be completed in approximately three weeks.
“We ask for your patience and understanding while this work is completed,” said City Engineer Elena Proakis Ellis in a press release.
If residents have any questions or concerns, people should call Project Engineer Scott Dixon at (781) 979-4173 or Ryan Henley of Weston and Sampson, the City’s wastewater consultant, at (860)-967-4651.
Work areas
The Subarea 3 work areas are Charles Street, Cypress Park, Dyer Avenue, Glen Road, Holland Road, Leeds Street, Lynn Fells Parkway, North Cedar Park, Oakland Street, Otis Street, Owego Park, Pilgrim Road, Pine Street, Poplar Street, Sewall Woods Road, South Cedar Park, Upland Road, Vinton Street, Warwick Road, Wentworth Road, West Emerson Street and Youle Street.
The Subarea 3A work areas are Cedar Park, Colby Terrace, Essex Street, North Cedar Park, North High Street, South Cedar Park, South High Street, Tremont Street, Vinton Street and West Emerson Street.
The Subarea 7 work areas are Adams Street, Ashmont Street, Atkinson Terrace, Baldwin Avenue, Black Rock Road, Chester Street, Clinton Road, Cottage Street, Crescent Avenue, Fellsway East, Florence Street, Gould Street, Lynde Avenue, Pebble Road, Russell Street, Trenton Street and Washington Street.
The Subarea 7A work areas are Ashmont Park, Ashmont Street, Bartlett Street, Frances Street, Gould Street and Pleasant Street.
The Subarea 15 work areas are Beacon Street, Bratley Street, Cargill Street, Church Street, Cliff Road, Dexter Road, Echo Street, Forest Street, Grandview Avenue, Hancock Street, Hawthorne Street, Hemmingway Avenue, Hillside Park, Hopkins Street, Hunts Terrace, Ireson Road, Lebanon Street, Maple Terrace, Maplegrove Street, Meacham Street, Naples Road, North Forest Street, North Mountain Avenue, Oxford Street, Penney Hill Road, Penney Road, Prescott Street, South Mountain Avenue, Spear Street, Swains Pond Avenue, Temple Street, Whitman Avenue, Willard Street and Worth Street.
The Subarea 20 work areas are Boardman Avenue, Carlida Road, Conrad Road, Coolidge Road, Corner Street, Cranmore Lane, Howard Street, Ledge Street, Mount Zion Road, Stanley Street and Windsor Street.
The Subarea 18 work areas are Arlington Road, Avon Street, Bay State Road, Boardman Avenue, Clifford Street, Clifford Street, Cochrane Street, Conrad Road, Coolidge Road, Damon Avenue, Ells Avenue, Elm Street, Fairview Avenue, Farwell Avenue, Frost Avenue, Glendale Avenue, Green Street, Haskell Street, Haverhill Place, Hawes Avenue, Hawley Road, Hesseltine Avenue, Heywood Avenue, Highland Avenue East, Howard Street, Lovell Road, Main Street, Old Brook Circle, Pearl Street, Starbird Avenue, Thurston Road, Virginia Avenue and West Street.
