The Town of Needham’s Department of Public Works updated the Water and Sewer Rate Structure Committee on March 18 about several ongoing capital and operations items, including a return to work on South Street, completion of a major interceptor rehabilitation, lead-service renewals, and a pump recovery at a town well.

Superintendent Mike gave a construction update: the South Street water-main improvement project with K and K Construction is due to resume service work later in the month. “They’re gonna finish their second half of their work. Construction scheduled to resume on, Monday, the 20 fourth,” Mike said. He told the committee work this season will extend from the Moran Drive/Burr Road area up to Charles River Street and will include additional drainage components tied to NPDES compliance and stormwater infiltration.

On sewer work, Mike said the interceptor rehabilitation project is substantially complete with only punch‑list items remaining. He described a major December collapse of an 18‑inch pipe that required emergency excavation and around-the-clock bypass work before lining was completed.

On lead service renewals tied to federal Lead and Copper Rule requirements, staff said the town awarded the new contractor to GBC Construction as the low bidder and that the contract is in the process of being finalized. The town reported approximately 30–35 known lead services and additional unknown or galvanized services to be addressed; staff estimated the work would take around two years to complete.

Operations updates included a recovery and replacement of a submersible pump at a town well: staff described a pump that fractured and dropped to the bottom of the well and said crews recovered the 900‑pound unit and installed a replacement. The committee heard that the well depth is about 90 feet and that the replacement unit has been running without issue since early February.

Staff said unaccounted-for water currently measures roughly 15% of total consumption, down from 16.5% the prior year; work to reduce losses includes an annual leak-detection survey, meter replacements (solid-state sonar “Markpad” meters), CCTV inspections before paving and routine manhole and catch-basin repairs.

No procurement votes were recorded at the meeting; staff said contract award paperwork for service renewals is under way and that more details will be reported when the award is final.