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Date: 3/30/2022
CHICOPEE – The city’s Department of Public Works (DPW) received a $750,000 state American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) earmark grant for the effluent generator replacement project at Medina Street during a City Council meeting on March 15.
Mayor John Vieau introduced the item as a part of his mayor’s briefing. Vieau thanked state Rep. Joseph Wagner and the city’s delegation for securing the grant, stressing that the project continues to be an area of need.
“It’s coming at a great time because we need to replace this back-up generator. This is going to help tremendously,” said Vieau.
DPW Superintendent Elizabette Batista joined the meeting to explain concerns around the current generator on Medina Street. She explained that the F1 generator protects the city’s wastewater treatment plant in case power goes down, helping to take care of excess sewage in those situations.
“Sewage comes to the plant via gravity. If the power goes out, we can’t pump it out, so the generator would then kick in that would pump the water, once treated, into the river,” said Batista. The Medina Street plant is located near the Connecticut River.
Batista shared that the back-up generator continues to sit on standby as the city has not sustained power loss, but assured the public that the 30-year-old piece of equipment remains a vital cog for the city. “Fortunately, we haven’t had to worry about that, but it’s a piece of aging equipment that needs to be replaced to protect us. If that were ever to occur, our facility would completely surcharge and flood the neighborhood,” said Batista.
After brief discussion, the City Council approved the grant in a unanimous vote. The council also approved an order of $300,000 to the DPW Wastewater Special Account, which will be reimbursed once the ARPA funds are officially awarded to the city.
Bulk Pick-Up Program
The DPW also continues to highlight the reintroduction of the city’s bulk waste disposal program. The program, which started in the beginning of March, operates every Tuesday and Thursday. Vieau said sign-ups remain open as the program continues to run smoothly during its initial month.
“We’re seeing that it’s been received by our residents very well and the program is being appreciated,” said Vieau.
Batista reiterated Vieau’s support of the program, sharing that the program’s initial month featured maximum participation during each service day. “We continue to see positive use of the program,” said Batista.
Readers can learn more and register for the program at http://chicopeema.gov/912/Bulk-Waste-Disposal.