The Board of Water Commissioners announced at its last meeting that the Lynnfield Center Water District has been accepted into a state program that will allow it to access zero-interest loans for construction of a new water treatment plant.
The Board is pursuing an upgraded Glen Drive Treatment Facility Project that will now treat not only for iron and manganese filtration but also for PFAS. The funding will be available through borrowing from this SRF program. A meeting is planned for Wednesday, April 26, at 6 p.m. at the Merritt Center to present the project and discuss the SRF opportunity.
In May 2021, District ratepayers approved construction of a greensand Filtration Plant at Glen Drive, to address levels of naturally occurring iron and manganese, which affect water quality, especially in higher demand periods over the summer.
Acceptance into the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund operated by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection means the District can now borrow for that initial project and for the expanded PFAS treatment at zero percent interest rates, significantly lower than current industry standards.
The proposed plant will reduce the amount of PFAS in the water to non-detect levels which meets existing standards and also those currently being discussed by the EPA as a national federal standard which could be the new MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) within the next three years. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are man-made and do not break down quickly.
After starting to test for PFAS in the fall of 2021, the District leaders developed a short-term plan to address PFAS and maintain operation of its system to the new standards. Through construction of a temporary carbon and resin filtering system, Superintendent John Scenna reported about a month ago that the entire system is now operating “well within the allowable 20 ppt” and in fact, “recent results from Station 2, which was the only pump to test above the 20 ppt MCL, have demonstrated with consistency PFAS levels at non-detect, below 2 ppt.”
LCWD has always made information on PFAS available on its website at https://lcwd.us/pfas/, You can also find most recent results there.
While they worked efficiently and expeditiously at the temporary pilot program constructed, LCWD has always sought a more permanent solution and explored several options to accomplish that goal. The treatment plant at Glen Drive is ultimately the most cost-effective approach. It was also the approach that allowed for the SRF funding possibility.
“Because of the SRF program (and subsequent borrowing at zero percent interest) the District will be able to move forward with a $15 million project at the same impact to rate payers as the original appropriation that would have to be borrowed and paid back at today’s higher than anticipated interest rates,” said Scenna.
Use of the SRF program borrowing is contingent on LCWD meeting several deadlines:
- The District must secure authorization to borrow by June 30. Ratepayers will be asked to approve borrowing on a 20-year loan at the Annual District Meeting on May 8.
- The District must submit a loan application and project specifications by mid-October.
- The District must initiate construction within six months of final approval.
The District will lose its place in the grant program if it misses a deadline.
Last fall, then-Gov. Charlie Baker signed an economic development bill which included a $100,000 earmark for the District to assist with design costs for PFAS remediation systems at the new treatment plant. By adding PFAS remediation the District could submit a fully formed design plan to DEP for funding without disrupting the construction timeline.
“These funds and our project team’s insight, allowed for the project to keep proceeding, gave us an opportunity to present a great solution to the DEP for the SRF program and allowed for a significant head start on final design,” Commission Chairman Joseph Maney said.
The District serves about 2,600 homes and businesses in Lynnfield, about two-thirds of the town, plus town facilities and all four schools.
The treatment plant is one of several infrastructure initiatives the District is undertaking to ensure water quality, address issues of low flow, and create a stable supply to meet future demands.
Ratepayers also have approved borrowing and spending to connect the District supply with the Town of Wakefield system, allowing a link to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
On Feb. 15, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced that the District will receive a $184,000 Water Management Act (WMA) grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). The WMA grant consists of $147,200 in state funding, which the District must match with $36,800. The money will be used to fund the engineering design of a system interconnection.
Work on the interconnection project is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
The Board of Commissioners wishes to thank the Healey-Driscoll administration, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, House Minority Leader Rep. Bradley Jones Jr., and Sen. Brendan Crighton for their support of ongoing capital projects by the District.
Commissioners also encourage everyone to attend the presentation on April 26 and the Annual District Meeting scheduled for Monday, May 8, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
“This is a great opportunity to upgrade infrastructure and solve significant problems long-term at minimal cost impact to ratepayers. The problems will not go away, but the possibility to complete them at reduced impact will. Opportunities like this don’t come often and we hope the District recognizes this and supports it.” said Commissioner Andy Youngren, who has been the Board’s liaison on the Capital Projects.