A recent money-saving water main project in North Lincoln had its roots in history, but more water-related spending is on the horizon.
Minute Man National Historic Park has been getting some upgrades to prepare for next year’s 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolution. Improvements to Virginia Road are part of that effort, and park officials asked the Lincoln Water Department several months ago whether the area’s water main could withstand the heavy equipment performing the work. Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam continued the story in an email to the Lincoln Squirrel:
“That led to discussion of approximately 30 abandoned water service lines under the section of Virginia road from Hartwell Tavern west to the Bloody Angle intersection. These are service lines that went to homes that were removed for the national park. We let [park] employees know we have had to dig to repair a few of these service lines which were leaking over the past couple years. They did not like the idea of more digging into their improved Virginia road to repair future service line leaks.
“To protect their investment in Virginia Road, we agreed to abandon an approximately a quarter-mile long section of water main that only serves Hartwell Tavern and a park comfort station. This main abandonment does not create any dead ends in our distribution system and may improve water quality by reducing water age in that area of town… This will prevent many future shutdowns for the repair of leaking abandoned service lines,” LaFalam wrote.
The job required shutting off water service to some homes at the northern end of Bedford Road and Silver Birch Lane for several hours. Affected residents were notified with flyers in their mailboxes — but the flyers incorrectly said this would take place on August 13, not the 14th (though notices on LincolnTalk and the Lincoln Squirrel had the correct date). When the water shutoff actually happened on the 14th — and when it also affected more people and lasted longer than expected — there were some ruffled feathers.
The work was supposed to be finished by 2 p.m. on August 14, but “occasionally, when working on underground infrastructure, unforeseen circumstances arise. We were forced to close valves further from the job site than expected to isolate the work area, creating an interruption in water service on Mill Street as well. Our crew and contractor worked diligently, but we could not get the water turned on until 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.,” LaFalam wrote in an apologetic August 15 LincolnTalk post directed to northern Bedford Road and Mill Street customers who unexpectedly lost water service.
Water main replacement plan
The temporary inconvenience will save money for the town in the long run — but more big spending is ahead as several of Lincoln’s other water mains (some more than 100 years old) are slated for replacement. Tighe and Bond, an engineering firm hired by the Water Department, came up with a priority list after doing testing and analysis of the existing water mains (age, materials and condition in recently repaired portions).
Topping the list: a segment that starts under Bedford Road near the top of the hill about a quarter-mile from the five-way intersection and then down Lincoln Road to the Codman Road intersection.
“During a main break on Lincoln Road near Ballfield Road two years ago, we saw the 10-inch cast iron main is tuberculated with mineral deposits down to about a 5-inch inner diameter. This restricts water flow and reduces fire protection flow. Flow testing confirmed this restriction of flow the length of Lincoln Road to Codman Road,” LaFalam said. “We had a main break on Bedford Road near the Library approximately six years ago and saw similar conditions, as well as porous cast iron pipe with greatly reduced integrity. We will be replacing the existing 10-inch cast iron pipe with 12-inch cement lined ductile iron. This will help future proof water flow capacity to the Lincoln Station area for any future housing developments.”
The project is estimated to cost $8.6 million. “Yes, the number is staggering to me as well. With construction costs increasing rapidly, the longer work is put off, the more expensive it becomes,” LaFalam said. The work will be broken into two parts. At the 2024 Annual Town Meeting, residents authorized a bond issue for $2.2 million to pay for Phase 1 from the top of the hill on Bedford Road down to the five-way intersection. The project has not yet been put out to bid so scheduling is unclear, but the hope is to start in spring 2025, he added.
For Phase 2 from the five-way intersection to Codman Road, the Water Department plans to ask for another $6.4 million in bonding at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting. If it’s necessary to break that phase into two parts, “the railroad tracks could be a natural stopping point,” LaFalam said.
The town is looking for funding sources other than Lincoln taxpayers. Officials have made requests through the State Revolving Fund financial assistance program for the past two years, “but the project has not made the cut. Most federal and state funding is going towards PFAS treatment projects right now,” he said.
