Town officials shared updates on several major water infrastructure efforts, highlighting steady construction progress, new pipeline work and planning aimed at future water quality needs.
The updates, presented during the Mar. 24 Select Board meeting, showed multiple projects advancing at the same time, with officials pointing to both current construction milestones and long-term system improvements.
Work on Scituate’s new water treatment plant is more than halfway complete, with construction continuing on schedule and change orders remaining low.
Project officials said the work is about 65% complete, with major structural elements largely finished and interior and equipment installation ongoing. The timeline remains unchanged, with substantial completion expected in December 2026 and final completion in June 2027.
Officials also reviewed a new change order totaling about $312,000, tied to adjustments based on final equipment specifications and operational needs.
Those changes reflect refinements as equipment details are finalized during construction, rather than corrections to earlier work, according to project officials.
The Select Board approved a contract for the next phase of water main replacement along Route 3A, continuing a multi-year effort to upgrade aging infrastructure.
The project will extend previous work and replace older pipes, including sections that could be vulnerable as the new treatment system increases pressure and flow.
Construction could begin as early as April, with work hours expected to avoid peak traffic periods, including school-related congestion. The project also includes additional upgrades in the Humarock area as part of ongoing system improvements.
Officials said the pipeline upgrades are also designed to prepare the town for potential future water quality challenges.
The system is being configured so additional wells can be routed through the treatment plant if needed, allowing flexibility in addressing contaminants such as PFAS.
“If we ever had a PFAS issue in the future, we could run those two wells through there and take care of that,” Cafferty said. “So it's thinking ahead.”
Town leaders said taking those steps now could help avoid more costly upgrades later.
The town’s water infrastructure efforts are supported in part by a recently approved $27 million low-interest loan through a state program.
Officials said the funding, awarded through a competitive process, will reduce borrowing costs compared to traditional financing options and help support ongoing improvements.
Town officials are preparing to bring the financing before Town Meeting as part of the next steps in advancing the projects.
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