Framingham's Sewer System Is a 'Ticking Time Bomb Underground'

DPW Director, Bob Lewis, gave that dire warning at the 8/20 City Council meeting when explaining the July 30 675,000 gallon sewage spill.

​On August 20, 2024, at a City Council meeting, the following agenda item​ was discussed:

 ‘An update with the Director of Public Works regarding a recent sewage overflow.​’

The agenda item was not a standard one, rather it was specially requested by City Councilor Adam Steiner. Thanks to him, we now have some insight into the state of the sewer system in Framingham. It is remarkable, but true, that there is no regular reporting required by the City Council on the state of city infrastructure: roads, roofs, water & sewer system, even when emergencies occur.

That really needs to change!

Read on.

On July 30, 2024, there was a leak of 675,000 gallons of sewage into the Sudbury river in the vicinity of 72-74 Main St​. The location is not far from the vacant Staples store and Trader Joes on Rt 9. 

Replacement of a 20 ft section of leaking sewer pipe, located in wetlands, took from 4:30pm on July 30 to 9am on July 31, required 13 septic pumper trucks, 22 staff, including 5 managers, and cost $110,000. The effort was well described by Steve Leone, Water & Wastewater Director:

Framingham Water & Wastewater Director Steve Leone Reports on the 7/30/24 Sewage Overflow Episode​

​Steve explained that normally $110,000 would pay for the replacement of about 400 ft of sewer pipe, so the cost for replacement of 20 ft was extreme due to the emergency circumstances. He also explained that the root cause of the problem was the fact that the cast iron sewer pipe ran through wetlands which are acidic, so that the acid eats away at the metal pipe and failure eventually occurs. The pipe which failed was what is called a force main, which is a pipe where the sewage is pumped through under pressure, unlike other sewer pipes where gravity is sufficient to ensure a sufficient flow through the pipe.

Under questioning from City Councilor Brandon Ward, as to how bad the sewer pipe problem is across the city, Steve Leone explained that there was another very similar situation at the Gates Rd Pump Station where a force main also runs through wetlands. The picture shows the setup:

The danger of the situation is emphasized by the fact that, as confirmed to me by Bob Lewis, Director of Public Works:

1.        The pipe (shown in pink) is cast iron.

2.        It was installed in 1953.

3.        The useful life for such a pipe is about 50 years, so it is 21 years beyond that.

4.        It runs about 700 ft through the pond.

Replacement of this pipe and the Gates Rd Pump Station will not occur till some time late in 2026 or later, at least 2 years out.

That would appear to anyone as an accident waiting to happen.

In the subsequent discussion, Bob Lewis, made his refreshingly candid comments, as can be seen in:

Framingham DPW Director Bob Lewis Warns That the Sewer System Is a 'Ticking Time Bomb Underground'

The bottom line, as Bob explains, is that Framingham needs to get on with addressing the problem and engage in a constant cycle of sewer system pipe and pump station replacements for the next decade or two.

Viewed in this context, the fact that the Mayor slashed the FY25 capital budget to $25 million from $75 million in FY24 and ditched the entire FY25-29 Capital Improvement plan, would give any observant community member heart palpitations. See:

Framingham Mayor Unexpectedly Slashes FY25 Capital Budget

Although City Councilors Adam Steiner, Brandon Ward, Noval Alexander, Christine Long and Leslie White Harvey showed a high level of concern about the situation, the Mayor and the Finance Subcommittee leadership – City Councilors George King and Mike Cannon – were totally silent on the infrastructure crisis we are obviously in.

It seems imperative that from here on out, there should be quarterly reporting in detail by the Department of Public Works on the city’s critical infrastructure: water & sewer, and the roads.

Notably, in an addendum to his commentary on the sewer system, Bob Lewis put in a plea for increased funding for the roads as well, as the PCI (Pavement Condition Index) is steadily dropping, i.e. the roads are getting worse every year. DPW asks for $8.5 million each fiscal year and only gets $2.0 million.

There is a giant crumbling infrastructure problem in the city which needs immediate attention.

The City Council should first demand regular, detailed reporting on infrastructure and then insist that the Mayor explain how we got into this situation after almost 3 years of his term in office, and how he intends to solve the problem.