On Wednesday, Newton’s Public Facilities Committee voted to advance a $2.3 million appropriation for Phase Two of the City’s Pump Station Rehabilitation Capital Improvement Plan.

The request, submitted by Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, would use Sewer Fund Surplus dollars to continue a multi-year effort to rebuild several of Newton’s aging wastewater pump stations.

Commissioner of Public Works Shawna Sullivan discussed the importance of upgrading the reliability of Newton’s wastewater system, noting that many of the stations were built decades ago and now contain aging components that pose operational risks.

“These stations are critical, many are several decades old, and require rehabilitation to maintain reliability, reduce operational risk, and ensure long-term system performance,” Sullivan said.

Ward 1 Councilor-at-Large Alison Leary asked how much of the work would be handled by outside contractors and whether the rehabilitation timeline was part of an expected, long-term capital plan.

“How much of it is contracted?” Leary said. “Is this a scheduled, long-term improvement?” 

Sullivan confirmed that the upgrades follow a multi-year modernization plan.

“This is our phased approach to improving all stations, a phased project over a number of years,” Sullivan said. “It’s going to be contracted out.”

From there, Sullivan outlined the planned improvements, which include structural and architectural repairs at stations across Newton, including Point of Pines Road, Elliot Street, and Edgewater Park. The repairs are part of a long-term modernization strategy, explained Sullivan. 

“This project is a key part of our capital improvement plan and our long-term strategy to modernize the network, prevent costly emergency repairs, and maintain a high level of service,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan explained that the funding also includes oversight by the Brown and Caldwell construction firm, which will manage job sites and supervise equipment startup throughout the 15-month construction period.

“Part of the original assessment was done by Brown and Caldwell for all of our pump stations,” Sullivan said. “This quality control is essential to ensuring the work is completed properly.”

The full financial breakdown of the request is $1.8 million for construction, $215,890 in contingency, and $290,000 for oversight, according to Sullivan.

With no objections raised, the committee voted unanimously in favor of the appropriation. The appropriation for the plan now heads to the Newton Finance Committee for further review before going to the full Newton City Council.