By Hilary H. Hosmer
Bedford Selectmen voted 5-0 at their April 22 meeting to approve a $171,245 sewer system study contract with Weston and Sampson Engineers, Inc., of Peabody, MA. The goal of the investigation is to prevent ground water contamination of Bedford’s water lines. Now that the contract has been approved, work will begin immediately.
Adrienne St. John of the Bedford Department of Public Works appeared before the Board to describe the project and to answer questions. She explained that Weston and Sampson will inspect approximately 750 sewer manholes and 25 miles of sewer mains looking for sources of water inflow and infiltration. The inspectors will identify improper connections, cracks, and leaks into catch basins and install as many as 50 manhole inflow dishes, which limit unwanted inflow of rain water. If they find extraneous flow (that is, leaks out of the mains), they will do a cost-benefit analysis and design fixes where appropriate.
According to St. John, the study will focus on the collection area above the Page Road sewerage station, as well as other areas subject to periodic flooding. The contractor will use smoke-testing, dyed-water testing and flooding, and other techniques as needed to determine the cause of the ground water contamination.
Selectman Margot Fleischman asked St. John if the value of the work could be quantified. St. John pointed out that we pay for each gallon of clean water, and one leak might release 2 gallons per minute. This investigation will enable cost-effective decisions about water and sewer issues.
St. John noted that water coming from Burlington has more chlorine than water coming from the Mass Water Resource Authority (MWRA) and will reduce seasonal bacteria increases.
The contract will be partially funded through the MWRA loan program
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