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Date: 4/17/2023
AMHERST — The Centennial Water Treatment plant in Pelham will be torn down and a new facility will be built on the existing site with the assistance of a $15 million loan from the state’s Clean Water Trust.
Amherst DPW Superintendent Guilford Mooring said a preconstruction meeting is expected to take place later this month or in May to kick off the project.
The Auburn based R.H. White Construction Co. will head the demolition and the construction to follow.
“It will probably be a two-year project, it might be two and a half years,” said Mooring, who pointed to current nationwide supply chain issues as a major factor in the completion timeline.
“Our supply system in America isn’t as robust as it used to be and it may take a while to get all the materials in for the project,” he said.
The plants current capacity of $1.5 million gallons a day will remain the same.
The existing plant, which went into operation in the 1980s has not been meeting standards and Mooring said the loan from the state’s Clean Water Trust’s Board of Trustees is going to help with the transition.
In all, the Revolving Fund program approved nearly $38 million in low interesting lending for water improvement throughout the state.
“More of those types of opportunities for all the water systems in the state would be really nice,” Mooring said.
The Centennial Plant serves water customers in Amherst and Pelham as well as Belchertown and Leverett.
Mooring said original improvement plans for the plant which were anticipated at approximately $6 million in previous years gave way to current overall project costs of $21 million.
Taxpayer costs will be none but Mooring said rate payers will see an increase costs.