The Town of Leverett is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has awarded a Clean Water State Re
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PRESS RELEASE
June 30, 2021
Contact: Marjorie McGinnis
Phone: 413-548-9699
The Town of Leverett is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has awarded a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Loan (CWSRF-6841) for the East Leverett Road in Amherst and Cushman and Teawaddle Hill Roads in Leverett Waterline Construction Project. The CWSRF Program is administered by MassDEP with joint funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust. The purpose of this project is to connect the houses in this neighborhood of Leverett, which are downgradient to the Leverett Landfill, to the Amherst public water supply. The Leverett Landfill, which was closed in 1993 and capped in 1996, has since been under a monitoring program dictated by the DEP. Though the monitoring regimen has been followed, the Town, residents and DEP agree that filtration and bottled water should not be a permanent solution. Quarterly testing of untreated water, as required by DEP, shows detectable volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other contaminants, primarily iron and manganese, in the water at these houses. Testing for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for the houses involved has recently been ordered.
Leverett has had a committee in place to study the situation and options for a solution for years and in 2019, Leverett voters authorized the town to borrow the funds to construct the waterline and an agreement with Amherst for the connection was signed in November 2020. The State Revolving Fund application was completed soon after and was approved as a Clean Water Emergency Project. Amherst officials are overseeing the procurement and construction and recommended that Leverett award the project to Baltazar Contractors, which was done this past week. Construction is scheduled to begin soon with hopes that it will be complete by fall and the houses in Leverett will have Amherst Water.
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