Community Corner

MWRA to Remove Rocks from Water Tank Site in Late September

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority has removed about 150,000 cubic yards of excavated material out of a total of 190,000 cubic yards at the Spot Pond water tank site this year.

With excavation planned through the end of the year at the Spot Pond water tank site, rock removal is expected to begin in late September, according to a Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) spokeswoman.

"...We have removed about 150,000 cubic yards of excavated material out of a total of 190,000 cubic yards," said Ria Convery, a spokeswoman for MWRA, adding that the number of trucks at the site varies from zero to 10, with each making three trips. "Rock removal is scheduled to start (at the) end of September and continue in October."

The project is expected to require "considerable excavation" for six to eight months during the hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a MWRA statement.

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"Once the excavation is complete, truck traffic will decline, but appropriate public safety measures will remain in place," read the statement. "MWRA and Walsh Construction have been working closely with the Massachusetts State Police and the Department of Conservation and Recreation to develop an efficient and reliable traffic management plan to ensure the safety of the drivers and pedestrians using the adjacent roads and streets.

According to Convery, concrete pours are scheduled to start by the end of this year.

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The MWRA began construction of a 20-million-gallon water storage tank behind the site of the former Boston Regional Medical Center on Woodland Road in Stoneham June 4. 

"The new water storage tank is required to meet state and federal drinking water regulations and MWRA’s goal of providing at least a one-day emergency supply of stored water," according to the statement.

The underground, concrete tank will provide water storage for MWRA’s Low Service area, which includes Charlestown, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford and Somerville, according to the statement. The pump station will provide system redundancy for 21 communities currently served by the Gillis Pump Station, including Stoneham, Wakefield, Winchester and Woburn, the statement adds.

"When the project is completed in late fall 2014, the design calls for upland meadows to be planted on top of the buried tank, which would provide additional open space and public access adjacent to the Fells Reservation," the statement read.

Previous coverage:

  • Selectmen Upset at Proposed MWRA Project Pipeline, Motion to Send Letter
  • MWRA Project May Hit Snag in Stoneham
  • UPDATED: MWRA to Begin Construction of Water Storage Tank in Stoneham June 4


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