Projects

Project Description

The Auburn Water District (District) retained CEI to complete design and permitting services for a water supply interconnection with the City of Worcester.  The proposed interconnection was determined to be the most feasible and cost-effective option for the District in order to increase its overall water supply capacity.

The interconnection involves installation of a water main along Southbridge Street from the Auburn‐Worcester boundary, where the City of Worcester has a main, to Sword Street. The interconnection will also involve the construction of an aboveground pressure relief valve (PRV)/water metering facility situated approximately 400 feet from the Town/City line on the western side of Southbridge Street.

Most of the District’s water supply wells are vulnerable to potential contamination due to the proximity of numerous major highways (i.e., I-90, I-290, I-395, SR 20, SR 12). Potential contamination sources include sodium and chloride loading from winter road salting and fuel spills from frequent accidents. The District’s system can typically meet water demands while sustaining normal pressures during a maximum demand week, however, if one or two wells are rendered inoperable due to contamination or mechanical issues, the District’s water storage tanks may not recover during a maximum demand week. This could result in water shortages and/or decreased water pressure below normal levels.

Key benefits of the proposed interconnection with the City would be a more reliable source of water to the District, which can be used when there is an emergency, when supplies are off-line for maintenance or potential contamination, during periods of high demand, and to prepare for future demands.

This interconnection involves an interbasin transfer of potable water from the City of Worcester’s (City) water supplies in the Nashua River Basin (NRB) to the Auburn Water District’s (District) water distribution system in the Blackstone River Basin (BRB).  As a result, CEI provided permitting assistance for the Interbasin Transfer under the Massachusetts Water Management Act and coordinated extensively with MEPA on the preparation/submittal of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).