On November 9th, the Town of Franklin kicked off the Beaver Street Sewer Interceptor Replacement Project at the Franklin Recreation Center located at 275 Beaver Street.  

Town Council Chair, Tom Mercer, welcomed everyone to the groundbreaking and declared “the rehabilitation and realignment of the Beaver Street Interceptor will provide the most cost-effective, long-term solution to the Interceptor’s capacity and structural deficiencies, and will improve accessibility, operational and maintenance challenges as well as environmental impacts for the Town”. 

The Beaver Street Interceptor has been in continuous service for 108 years and is considered Franklin’s most critical sewer asset, conveying almost 70 percent of the Town’s sewage with an average daily sewage flow of approximately 1.5 million gallons per day through the pipeline. Other than routine maintenance, no improvements to the interceptor have been made since its original construction in 1914.

According to Franklin’s Department of Public Works Director, Robert Cantoreggi, extensive manhole inspections and cleaning and closed-circuit television inspection of the pipes were last completed in 2013 and 2014. Results of these investigations showed signs of increasing deterioration and worsening conditions of the pipes and manholes, most notably increased tuberculation, cracks, manhole and pipeline infiltration, and root intrusion.

“Due to its age, the risk and consequence of failure, environmental impacts, and the percentage of the Town’s sewer flows conveyed by the interceptor it is imperative we undertake this project and keep Franklin flowing,” stated Cantoreggi. 

Liz Taglieri, Executive Director of the Charles River Pollution Control District, recognized the Town’s proactive efforts toward infrastructure and safety. “Seeing the Town of Franklin invest in such a critical piece of its sewer infrastructure demonstrates just how much the Town values its responsibility to safely and effectively collect and transport the wastewater, ensuring the health and safety of not only the Town of Franklin, but also its neighboring communities.”  

This project will cost more than $33 million, funding the Town was able to secure through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Division of Municipal Services and State Revolving Fund (SRF) low-interest loan and principal forgiveness program. This program assists cities and towns to improve drinking water, stormwater and wastewater facilities and infrastructure to comply with federal and state quality requirements. Commissioner Bonnie Heiple of MassDEP was present for the groundbreaking ceremony. 

The climate crisis has brought significantly increased rainfall and storm impacts that can overwhelm infrastructure that was designed for a different time,” said Commissioner Heiple. “We are pleased to help bring this important project to fruition, as it will have tangible benefits to both public health and the environment.”

The Rehabilitation and Realignment of the Beaver Street Interceptor will improve environmental impacts, access, maintenance, and sanitary sewer overflows. The interceptor includes 59 manholes and approximately 2.3 miles of pipe, extending from the intersection of Cottage Street and Union Street to the easement behind Pond Street, near the Interstate 495/Route 140 interchange, where it discharges to the Mine Brook Interceptor. The projects consists of re-routing a portion of the existing interceptor, rehabilitating 6,100 linear feet of cured-in-place pipe lining, replacing 2,600 linear feet of the interceptor, upsizing of portions of the interceptor, installing 6,000 linear feet of new force main and gravity sewers, abandonment of 5,000 linear feet of the interceptor, and the construction of one new pump station and its associated force mains.

The extensive interceptor project is anticipated to take about 30 months to complete, ending in the summer of 2026.

For more information on the project, please visit the Department of Public Works website at https://www.franklinma.gov/water-sewer-division/pages/beaver-street-interceptor.