Scituate Approves North Sewer Project, Reduces Disposal Rates

Select Board gives green light to sewer engineering RFP and 60-day disposal pilot program

SCITUATE, MA - August 6 - Scituate's Select Board approved two major initiatives Tuesday night aimed at improving town infrastructure and services. The board authorized the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for engineering and design services for a sewer project in North Scituate and implemented a pilot program to reduce construction and demolition (C&D) disposal rates at the town transfer station.

The North Scituate Sewer Project will cover the village area, including Gannett Road and Country Way. It is estimated to have a capacity of 65,000 gallons per day.

Kevin Cafferty, Director of Public Works, outlined the project's scope: "I'm thinking a two-year project. This is tricky, and it all depends on the contractor. They have to build one to two pump stations. It's hard to say because we don't have the design."

The timeline for the project is estimated at three to five years from start to completion. This includes the design phase, expected to take about a year to a year and a half, followed by permitting and construction.

Board member Karen Canfield emphasized the project's importance: "This board worked very hard to try to come to a regional sewer agreement with our neighbors. That effort, if the door is open, we will continue to have those conversations. However, we have been convinced over many, many failed attempts that we needed to address the problem internally."

In a separate decision, the board approved a 60-day pilot program to reduce construction and demolition disposal rates at the town transfer station. The current rate of 17 cents per pound ($340 per ton) will be reduced to 13 cents per pound ($260 per ton) for September and October 2024.

This decision comes in response to decreased usage and revenue issues at the transfer station following a previous rate increase. Board members expressed hope that the reduced rates will encourage increased usage of the transfer station. Board Chair Andrew Goodrich shared his research: "Everyone I talked to knew precisely every other town and what the price was. Everyone knew Marshfield. We never even used to have these prices done, how many cents per pound, but that's what everyone did."

The board will reassess the pilot program at the beginning of November to determine its effectiveness and decide on future actions.