Littleton Sewer System Expansion Project
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Construction Updates
Updated November 28th, 2023
Littleton Common Sewer Expansion and Water Main Replacement
- Crews continue to work to install sewer main on Stevens Street, the trench will be paved at the end of each work week. Please seek alternate routes during construction and we appreciate the understanding of the impacted businesses.
- Revoli has indicated that they may have 2-3 more weeks of work to complete the work on Stevens Street and Goldsmith Street before they shut down for winter conditions.
- The water interruption scheduled for November 14th, from 9am to 3pm, impacting customers on Goldsmith Street between King Street and Lochslea Drive, has been postponed.
242 King Street- Water Resource Recovery Facility.
- At 242 King Street, concrete is being poured to build the bioreactor. The photo shows workers installing the rebar prior to pouring concrete. A reminder to motorists to use caution in the area as cement trucks exit and enter the property.
- A crane will be visible at the site for a month or more. The crane will lower rebar into the 30-foot hole where concrete will be poured to form the underground bioreactor tank, a primary component of the sewer process.
LELWD understands sewer construction is disruptive to traffic and causes noise. Crews are working as efficiently as possible while minimizing disturbance. Trenches in the roadway are scheduled for weekly paving when the work is completed.
(Note: Construction schedules are subject to change for reasons such as inclement weather and the progress of the work. Please check back here for updates.)
Previous Updates
- Paving operations are complete on Shattuck Street and the Town Hall parking lot.
- As crews continue to work to install sewer main on Stevens Street, the trench will be paved at the end of each work week. Please seek alternate routes during construction and we appreciate the understanding of the impacted businesses.
- Construction work will be on pause for the Thanksgiving Holiday and resume on Monday, 11/27.
- The water interruption scheduled for November 14th, from 9am to 3pm, impacting customers on Goldsmith Street between King Street and Lochslea Drive, has been postponed.
- This morning, Revoli is assessing the condition of Shattuck Street after yesterday’s rain. They will then finish installing the final sewer services over the next week during the day.
- Tonight, Revoli should continue working on King Street heading towards Stevens Street.
- The only work remaining on Russell Street is to remove old hydrants, connect the new watermain at the 495 Bridge, and pave. Russell Street work will be during the day between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm.
- The 18-inch sewer main has been installed on King Street, from the I-495 bridge to just past the U.S. Post Office and just before 459 King Street.
- Installation of sewer main will continue as long as the weather permits. Forward progress is slower because crews must dig deeper to install the pipes.
- The scheduled overnight water interruption for the sewer main installation that was for Wednesday, 10/25, impacting King Street, from Baldwin Hill Road to Jennifer Street, plus all of White Street and Jeanette Way, has been cancelled by Revoli Construction. The reschedule date of work and shutoffs will be announced once known.
- Revoli will also fix the broken drain line in the Town Hall parking lot by the end of next week.
- LELWD was informed today that construction crews will start work tonight to raise manholes and other castings at 26 Russell Street, the intersection of Highland Street and Russell Street, the Middle School Parking Lot, and on King Street starting at the High School. Anticipate noise from this work. The work is being done at night to avoid interfering with school traffic and traffic on a state road. This work is being done in anticipation of paving the roads.
- Crews continue to install sewer main along King Street toward the Common. In this area, crews are having to dig down about 16 feet to install the mains. The sewer is gravity fed, so the pitch from the Common area to the Water Resource Recovery Facility must flow downhill. Revoli’s objective is to get the sewer main installed up to Stevens Street before MassDOT shuts down road construction for the winter.
- Shattuck Street – The remaining two sewer services and relocating 9 Shattuck Street service will be completed during the day at some point next week. Paving is tentatively scheduled for the week of October 30th, working from King Street back to the library. Once Shattuck Street is completed, the paving crew will be working on the emergency access road behind the library.
- The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust notified Littleton yesterday that the sewer project has been awarded a 10% loan forgiveness. On the $29,438,000 loan, up to $2,943,800 will be forgiven, reducing the project cost for the sewer customers.
- This week, one construction crew finished the 4″ temporary paving on Russell Street up to the I-495 bridge, where the steel plates are located and will remain until the water tie-in is complete. The other crew continued installing 18″ sewer pipe on King Street heading toward the Common past White Street.
- A daytime crew will work to finish the last two water services on Russell Street by the 495 bridge, last three sewer services on Shattuck Street, and restoring the grass at the High School. Then the road will be graded and paved. They plan to finish this work over the next two weeks during the day.
- A night crew will continue to make their way to the Common installing 18″ sewer pipe.
- Paving should commence on Shattuck Street and the Town Hall the week of 10/23. After that, the focus will be on the fire road behind the library and all remaining cleanup work before winter.
Project Plans
Littleton Sewer Public Forums
If you missed our public forum on Town Meeting Articles 22 and 23, you can watch the replay here.
Littleton Sewer System Expansion Project
The Littleton Sewer System Expansion Project will bring sewer to the greater Littleton Common area in a district that encompasses more than 100 properties. Sewer will support the Town’s goal of economic development and help to protect the environment and Littleton’s water resources.
Under the leadership of the Board of Water Commissioners, LELWD expects to complete design and permitting of the 243,000-gallons-per-day sewer system in the Fall of 2022, put the project out to bid in the winter months, and start construction in the Summer of 2023.
Sewer District
The sewer district initially includes 53 commercial properties and 58 residential properties. Residential properties will have an option to opt-out if their septic systems meet certain criteria. The district also includes the 40-acre parcel at 550 King Street. While not originally part of the district, the developer requested the Commissioners add the property so the mixed-use, commercial and residential development can connect to the sewer. The addition of this property to the district provided the critical mass of customers that made the project financially feasible.
Project Cost & Repayment of Loans
The actual cost of the project will be determined by competitive bidding for construction in late summer 2022. The Littleton Town Meeting authorized LELWD to borrow $28.5 million for the project in October 2021.
- The Town expects to apply for state and federal grant money that could offset the project cost by about $8.5 million.
- After receiving grants, the town would expect to borrow about $20.5 million to be repaid by means of betterment assessments and connection fees.
- The sewer loans will be repaid by the sewer system users:
- 60% from the 550 King Street proposed development.
- 20% from municipal buildings connected to the sewer.
- 20% from other commercial and residential users.
- LELWD plans to seek low-interest loans from the state’s Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund. The loans would be repaid over 30 years.
System Components
The system will comprise basically of sewer mains installed under streets to which buildings will connect. The mains will transport raw sewer to a water resource recovery facility at 242 King Street. The treated effluent will then be transported by sewer main to the recharge site (essentially a large leach field) at 56 King Street.
Water Resource Recovery Facility
- Location: 242 King Street
- Most of the facility will be located below ground with a single building visible.
- Traffic entering the facility will be from the driveway on King Street.
- The facility will be outside of the wetlands buffer zone along Beaver Brook.
- Facility will be sited along the I-495-edge of the property and as far away from Beaver Brook and the Russell Street residences as possible.
Benefits of Sewer
Lack of a sewer system in the Common is hindering economic development and contributing to groundwater pollution, which can impact our drinking water supply.
