Amherst Hosts Topping Off Ceremony for Centennial Water Treatment Plant
Representatives who attended the ceremony from the Town of Amherst, State Officials, Tata and Howard Inc., R.H. White Construction, and Amherst College. Photo: amherstma.gov
Source: amherstma.gov
The Town of Amherst hosted a topping off ceremony for the Centennial Water Treatment Plant on On Wednesday, September 18, 2024. This ceremony celebrated a major milestone in building the new water plant, with full completion expected for Fall 2025.
The Centennial Water Treatment Plant will be a surface water treatment plant located in Pelham that provides up to 1 million gallons per day of treated water to the Amherst water system. The previous facility needed replacement due to its age and changes in water quality that made the treatment process less effective. The facility ultimately went offline in 2018 after lightning struck and damaged significant electrical components. The new facility will have more effective and efficient treatment technology including dissolved air flotation treatment and granular activated carbon filters.
“The reconstructed Centennial Water Treatment Plant will be a state-of-the-art facility that will ensure an ample supply of safe drinking water for decades to come,” said Town Manager Paul Bockelman. “The foresight to invest in this facility will provide added resilience to the town’s water resources. The credit goes to Superintendent of Public Works Guildford Mooring and Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Amy Rusiecki who dedicated years to getting this project permitted, designed, funded, and constructed.”
“Our skilled water treatment operators will benefit from having up-to-date equipment and computer technology to ensure every resident has clean, safe drinking water available well into the future,” added Bockelman.
During the ceremony, remarks were also shared by State Representative Mindy Domb, Town Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke, and Superintendent of Public Works Guilford Mooring. Attendees included representatives from State Senator Jo Commerford’s office, Tata & Howard, Inc., R.H. White Construction, Amherst College, and the Town of Amherst.
“Having this facility online gives us the resiliency we need to overcome things such as climate change that might impact our water system in the future,” said Rusiecki. “The town has five groundwater production wells and four surface water reservoirs that supply an average of 3 million gallons per day of safe drinking water to the residents and businesses, as well as Amherst and Hampshire Colleges, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and parts of Pelham, Belchertown, Leverett, and Hadley.”
Construction of the new Centennial Water Treatment Plant, expected to cost $21 million, is being financed by a 1.9% loan with $6 million principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The DWSRF program is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP) with joint funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the MA DEP.