The Lynnfield Center Water District received a $15 million zero interest loan from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust Board of Trustees for its Glen Drive Water Treatment Plant project.
The trust collaborates with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to help “communities build or replace water infrastructure that enhances ground and surface water resources, ensures the safety of drinking water, protects public health, and develops resilient communities,” a press release from the trust stated.
“It accomplishes these objectives by providing low-interest loans and grants to cities, towns and water utilities through the Massachusetts State Revolving Funds. The SRF programs are partnerships between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. SRFs function like an environmental infrastructure bank by financing water infrastructure projects in cities and towns across the Commonwealth,” according to the press release.
LCWD Director John Scenna said the district applied for the SRF loan two years ago and were awarded the loan during the spring of 2023 and the district voted to accept it in May 2023.
After an extensive public procurement process LCWD was granted authority by the RFS program to award the contract to Daniel O’Connell & Sons (DOC), Scenna said.
LCWD will have 20 years to pay off the $15 million loan at zero interest, he said.
This loan will fund the majority of the Glen Drive Water Treatment Plant project, which is one of two parts of the LCWD Capital Improvement Program, Scenna, who was recently appointed as the Department of Public Works director, said.
Scenna said the capital program began five years ago with extensive study of alternatives done by LCWD and CDM Smith engineering. Three years ago, the operation was given permission to proceed into design. The projects will address water quality, sustainability, and water supply.
The second part of the project is an “interconnection with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority through the Town of Wakefield for redundant and reliable water supply,” according to the LCWD website.
Scenna said the “purpose of the Glen Drive Water Treatment Plant is to to improve water quality” by filtering for iron, manganese, and PFAS.
Iron and manganese are “naturally occurring minerals in rocks, soil, and groundwater” that may cause “staining of plumbing fixtures and laundry, discolor the water, or produce an offensive taste or appearance,” according to a report released by Connecticut’s Department of Public Health.
The Glen Drive project originally addressed iron and manganese concerns, but pivoted to also address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, Scenna said.
PFAS are “widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time,” according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s website.
They are found in water, air, fish, and soil and studies have shown that exposure may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals, the website states.
Scenna said the LCWD currently treats the water for PFAS using a temporary filtration system regulated by the Massachusetts DEP.
The loan from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust Board of Trustees allows for the LCWD to address more concerns while saving money, he said.
Scenna said this money will have a “very positive impact” on the district’s upcoming projects.
“We’re very happy we were able to qualify for this program. We’re thankful to the state and local delegation for giving us and supporting us in this opportunity,” he said. “Essentially, we’re going to be able to address more concerns for less money than originally planned, which is an overall benefit to our ratepayers. both financially and from a water system perspective.”
The new Glen Drive Water Treatment Plant will last for decades, Scenna said.
“This treatment plant will be state of the art in terms of treating iron, manganese, and PFAS and we feel it’s an investment that’s going to last for decades to come,” he said.
