Peabody’s Department of Public Services (DPS) has been named Utility of the Year by the New England Water Works Association (NEWWA).
The award was announced on Sept. 20 at NEWWA’s 141st Annual Conference, held at the Newport Marriott. Established in 1882, the NEWWA is the leading authority on education, training opportunities and public outreach to protect and improve drinking water and water utility operations.
The award recognizes Peabody’s Clean & Sustainable Water Infrastructure program, a four-phase, $32 million initiative to modernize the city’s water treatment and distribution systems.
DPS Director Bob Labossiere said the project represents a “huge improvement to our system.
“It was truly a great team effort every step of the way,” he said. “Everyone in our department was instrumental in getting this project completed while keeping the system working. This project ensures that we can deliver clean water to city residents for a long time to come.”
“I want to recognize Department of Public Services Director Bob Labossiere and his outstanding team for their hard work and professionalism during the past several years of this project,” Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr. said. “Peabody is now in a position to produce our own water and control our own water rates for years to come.”
Improvements include the renovation of the Walsh Water Treatment Plant (formerly the Coolidge Avenue Water Treatment Plant); a $20 million overhaul and update of the Winona Water Treatment Plant; the installation of a booster pump station on Lowell Street, capable of pumping water from South Peabody to West Peabody; and replacement of the Lowell Street 4.7 mile water transmission main from Lynn Street to Route 1. Together, the new main and booster pump station will provide a secondary water supply to West Peabody.
“Winona was a real need as it was 50-years-old and had no redundancy,” said Labossiere. “If the plant went down, there was no water. Now if it goes down, we still have water.”
Labossiere said the project was funded from State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans.
SRF offers affordable loan options to cities and towns to improve water-supply infrastructure and drinking water safety. It also helps them comply with federal and state water quality requirements that deal with wastewater treatment plants and collection systems, while addressing issues such as watershed management priorities, stormwater management and green infrastructure.
“That program not only has low interest rates, but also offers partial principal forgiveness,” Labossiere said. “We hope to know the exact amount sometime before the end of the year, but we expect it will be up to several million dollars.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
