Blackberry Sewer Pump Station Q&A
*Updated 4/1/2021 (Updates will be provided if and when additional questions arise) *
Q: After the upgrade, how will service be impacted during a power failure? In the past, there have been backup/flooding issues.
A: The project intends to mitigate backup issues by increasing the size of the station and will provide a more robust alarm features to allow adequate response time.
Q: What are the chances and impact of the upgrade not being sufficient to handle added sewage demands?
A: An evaluation and modeling were completed during this project's design phase to analyze existing sewer conditions with recommendations for upgrades.
Q: During the upgrade, will there be times when sewer, water, or electrical usage is interrupted or restricted?
A: Sewer, water, and electrical interruptions/restrictions are not anticipated. Should an interruption or restriction be required, residents will be given as much notice as possible. Unexpected outages may occur if an emergency arises. Crews will work to restore any outages as soon as possible.
Q: What impact will abandonment of the dry well have on the service?
A: Construction will be sequenced to install the new station first and make it operational before abandoning the existing dry well. Abandonment is not expected to affect sewer service.
Q: Can you provide more details about the "daily road closures".
A: A road closure and detour will be in effect during construction hours (7 AM to 4 PM, Monday-Friday).
Access to individual properties will be maintained for residents and emergency vehicles.
Everyone is invited to sign up for City-wide alerts, including weekly traffic alerts and up-to-the-minute emergency alerts on the Notify Me section of our website, to "like" us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @DPWFramingham.
Q: How will pedestrian access/passage be impacted?
A: Pedestrian access will be maintained during construction. Detail officers will be present during construction. Pedestrians are reminded to be cautious near construction zones.
Q: My child has a bus stop at Blackberry Lane and Millwood Street. How will we be affected?
A: City staff is coordinating with the Schools and transportation team. Detail officers will be present during construction and can assist pedestrian traffic.
Q: What is the project duration?
A: Approximately four months of active construction, followed by a settling period before final paving.
Q: Is a video of the March 11, 2021 Neighborhood Meeting available to view?
A: Video and PDF copies of the PowerPoint presentation are now available on the project website.
Q: Where should I send new questions?
A: Questions related to the sewer pump station project may be sent to the City’s Senior Project Manager overseeing the project: Alison Eliot, P.E. at AEliot@FraminghamMA.gov. Questions about the website can be sent to the City’s Communication Senior Project Manager: Allyssa Jewell, at AJewell@FraminghamMA.gov.
Q: Can you provide an overview of the sewer system and the pumping station's place in it.
A: The sewer system conveys sewerage from houses to a gravity sewer line which feeds into the sewer pump station. From the pump station, the sewerage enters a force main and back into the City’s collection system. The City’s collection system conveys sewerage into the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). As we mentioned briefly in the presentation, we are confident in the studies and analysis completed during this project's design to be sufficient in handling increased demand. The City of Framingham has a robust system aimed at maintaining infrastructure, including being thoughtful about upgrades so that we don’t improve an upstream portion of the system that might create issues downstream.
Q: Several years ago, during a heavy rainstorm, a neighbor's sewer backed up, with his basement filling with sewage from a basement toilet. Why would stormwater affect the house sewage system?
A: You may have heard the terms inflow/infiltration or I/I. Infiltration occurs when groundwater seeps into sewer pipes through cracks, leaky pipe joints and/or deteriorated manholes. Inflow is stormwater that enters the sewer system through rain leaders, basement sump pumps, or foundation drains illegally connected to the sewer. These are both examples of how weather can affect the dedicated sewer system. The City is making strides through ongoing efforts to reduce as much I/I as possible. While I am not familiar with the particular incident you referred to, I/I, among several other factors, could contribute to such a backup.
Q: Why would the City not manage construction along Blackberry (see 10:45 in video), and what sort of impact might such construction have on residents? Can you explain the division of labor/responsibility for these projects?
A: The project mentioned at 10:45 in the video “Other Potential Construction” would not be managed by the City as it is work anticipated to be completed by the developer. Until we know the chosen path, it is hard to predict impacts to residents.
The City has a robust system aimed at maintaining infrastructure. Framingham DPW has embarked on extensive improvements of its critical infrastructure systems - roadways and traffic management, water distribution, wastewater collection, and stormwater conveyance. Some of these projects are managed “in-house” by DPW Operations teams, while others are managed by the DPW Capital Department and supported by outside consultants and contractors. Still, other work is conducted within our City by private developers and utility companies in consultation with City officials.
Q: When will we know the final path/plans for the 175 Millwood project to connect to the municipal sewer system?
Currently, the developer has a permitted sewer connection plan to the City’s municipal sewer system, however, alternative connections are being considered. Updates regarding the pump station project will generally be posted to the website monthly once construction has commenced. Unfortunately, I do not have information as to when or if the developer’s plans might change. Any changes or new plans from the developer would be presented to the Planning Board. A list of meeting dates can be found on the Planning Board’s website: https://www.framinghamma.gov/69/Planning-Board
Q: Where can I find a copy of the diagram that appears at 04:15 in the video? The writing is too small for me to read.
A copy of the plan shown at 4:15 is available on the project website. For the purposes of the presentation, the smaller text does not add substance. Portions of the construction plans were utilized to highlight features of the project, but the ancillary text was not removed. For example, some of the smaller text says, “Connect to existing 12” DI water main with solid sleeve”.
Q: Will I be able to view post-meeting questions that others have asked, along with the team's responses to those questions?
A: A Q&A section has been created on the project website.
Q: What is the best way to keep abreast of project updates?
A: Updates regarding the pump station project are generally posted to the website monthly once construction has commenced.
Everyone is invited to sign up for City-wide alerts, including weekly traffic alerts and up-to-the-minute emergency alerts on the Notify Me section of our website, to "like" us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @DPWFramingham.
