2017-04-24-CEC-ATM-STM1-rpt (incl Updates Errata)

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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2017 ATM&STM 2017-1 (with Updates&Errata) Standard Specification that allows for cost and maintenance efficiencies. [Note: The study did not include the signals which are under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, including, but not limited to: Bedford Street at Hartwell Avenue, Lowell Street at Waltham Street, Marrett Road at Spring Street, and Hayden Avenue at Route 2.] The FY2018 funding request is in Article 12(k). Water-Distribution System Many of the Town's 154 miles of water mains were installed in the early 1900s and require an ongoing engineering program plan of pipe cleaning, lining, or replacement. On an annual basis, the DPW implements work for cleaning, lining, and/or replacement of unlined, inadequate, aged, and breaking water mains to improve water quality, pressure, and fire-protection capabilities, and to reduce frequency and severity of water-main breaks, as well as to minimize long lengths of pipe not fed at both ends, known as "dead ends". This work often requires excavation prior to pipe-condition analysis. Work continues to replace remaining unlined pipes, of which 2% or 4 linear miles presently fall in to this category. Following this, work will then focus on replacing aging mains or those with a higher-break history. Using some of the funding authorized in FY2016, engineering is undertaking an analysis of the entire distribution network in order to prioritize work for the next phase of the improvement plan. The work is under contract and the model of the network is near completion. This analysis work will allow the Engineering Division to continue its best practices in the documentation of the materials, age, and break history of the Town's water mains and to use that information as well as ongoing material sampling (when appropriate) to determine its engineering replacement-and-rehabilitation plan. Some of the "out-year" funding in the capital plan is still approximate due to the difficulty of actual testing in a working water system, unlike roads which can be analyzed visually and with easily accessible samples; water systems require more complex exploratory testing by excavation, when and where possible. In some instances work scope cannot be completely developed until preliminary exploratory work on actual site conditions has been performed. The East Massachusetts Avenue water-mains improvement work that was funded with prior authorizations is now completed. For the FY2018 request, see Article 13. Heavy equipment and trucks used by the Water Division to maintain the system are procured with Water Enterprise funds that are funded directly by Water-rate payers. Where equipment is shared with the Sewer Division, the costs are shared. Hydrant System This Committee continues to encourage replacement at an accelerated rate and supports the level of funding proposed—which remains at what was the FY2017 level. The FY2018 funding for hydrant replacement continues to be evenly divided between Tax Levy funds and the Water-Enterprise Fund. For further system information and the FY2018 funding request, see Article 12(f). Sanitary Sewer The sanitary-sewer system (34 miles of trunk lines; 119 miles of street lines), like the water-distribution system, has sections that date back to the early 1900s. Due to age-related deterioration, some sections are susceptible to storm-water inflow and groundwater infiltration which increases the total flow to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) treatment system, resulting in increased charges to the Town, and causing overloading of parts of the system, and the potential to spread waterborne disease. Engineering has an ongoing program of investigating, evaluating, replacing and repairing sections of the system. This work had been partially funded by the MWRA Infiltration/Inflow (I/I) Local Financial Assistance Program, which provides grant and interest-free loan funding for member communities; however, at this point the Town has draw of its allocation in that Program. For further system information and the FY2018 funding request, see Article 14(a). The system has 10 sewage-pumping stations that need continual maintenance and periodic upgrading and which the Sewer Division has been doing. In July 2013, the engineering firm Wright-Pierce performed a 22