The Select Board voted unanimously to approve plans to construct a 300,000‑gallon equalization tank at the Adams Street wastewater treatment plant to manage peak flows tied to the Powder Mill sewer extension and new residential development.

Engineer Jack Bridal (Woodard & Curran, on the call) and Town Manager John Manduray summarized the need: the forthcoming apartment project at Powder Mill Place requires a sewer extension and regulators (DEP) conditioned approval on the town providing additional equalization capacity to meet permitted discharge limits. Manduray said the developer will contribute $1,000,000 toward the tank but project cost estimates have risen; the current funding gap puts the project cost at about $2.6 million before pursuing grants.

"We're proposing a 300,000 gallon tank," Bridal said, adding that the structure would sit near the Adams Street plant’s parking area and be roughly the height of the existing building. Town staff said the tank would provide operational flexibility to store flow during storms and release it back to the plant as flows recede, and would also aid maintenance by giving operators buffer capacity when reactors are taken offline.

Manduray said the town will pursue an MBTA-community grant program and other funding avenues to reduce borrowing. If grants do not fully cover costs, the town plans to borrow for the remainder and repay through the Sewer Enterprise Fund (surcharges through sewer rates) over a 20–30 year schedule. The board asked staff to continue the design work and pursue grant funding. The motion to approve the plan was moved by Select Board member David (surname not specified in transcript) and seconded; the vote was recorded as unanimous affirmative.

Ending

Staff will advance design and seek grants; if grant applications fall short, the project will come back to town meeting for a borrowing authorization to be repaid from the Sewer Enterprise Fund. The board approved the plan and asked engineers to continue the permitting and design process.