Wareham secures $27 million for Narrows force-main; SRF application and permits set design timeline

Wareham commissioners heard on June 11 that the town has $27 million appropriated for the Narrows force-main project and that the design team is advancing detailed plans, surveys and geotechnical work.

"We got the $27 million appropriated and the board also signed an amendment with Weston and Samson to execute the design of phases two and three," said Russ Cleamp of Environmental Design and Research, the consultant presenting the update. Cleamp described completed borings on Sandwich Road and Minet Road, new base mapping, and ongoing sheet- and profile-layout work to reflect site elevations and utility conflicts.

Why it matters: the Narrows force main is central to the town’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) and to efforts to manage nitrogen loads. Cleamp said the project requires three major permits — a Conservation Commission notice of intent, a railroad permit and MassDOT approval to place a pipeline in Route 6 — and that integrating phases two and three into the design has extended the schedule.

Funding options and timing: commissioners were told there are two primary finance paths. Under the state SRF program the town could obtain a 0% loan and potentially a loan-forgiveness share (Cleamp described forgiveness in prior projects at roughly the 20% range and said SRF forgiveness can be up to about 25%). But SRF requires a project-evaluation-form (PEF) and competitive scoring. "That submission typically happens in June, early July," Cleamp said; state notice on awards typically follows around January. If the town secures SRF funding it will aim to have plans and permits "shelf ready" so construction could proceed in a fall season; Cleamp told the board that SRF timing pushes the earliest likely construction toward fall 2027 if funding is received.

Cleamp added the alternative — borrowing on the private market — is generally costlier because interest rates and project financing fees increase total project cost.

Operational context: directors and commissioners also discussed plant capacity and nitrogen strategy tied to the CWMP. Director Scott Soie warned the plant has recently struggled with solids settling since the new headworks came online. "The plant is actually... struggling right now. We're having settling issues," Soie said, noting the crew has been managing upset conditions and that new clarifiers and an odor-control system are expected to be operational in mid-July.

Next steps: the design team will complete alignment drawings and permit applications while Weston and Samson prepare the PEF; the board will monitor SRF outcomes in January and hold further budget-and-schedule discussions if SRF funding is not awarded.

The board did not take a new vote on the design scope at the June 11 workshop; the presentation closed with a request for additional information and follow-up at the next meeting.