Editor’s Note: During Monday’s Select Board meeting, DPW Director David Manugian shared insights into a proposed link between Bedford and the MWRA, the department’s new system for road maintenance, and a report on plans for future upgrades to Shawsheen Cemetery
Proposed New MWRA Link Could Improve Bedford’s Water System
A planned direct connection between Bedford’s water distribution system and a new extension of regional conduits should improve water flow, pressure, and quality, Director of Public Works David Manugian told the Select Board on Monday.
And work could begin as soon as this fall.
Manugian described Bedford’s three current connections to the Metropolitan Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to Lexington’s town system. The proposed new link, near the Routes 3 and 62 interchange, will feed from the MWRA without local pipes in between.
The director said it is hoped that state and possibly federal grants will be available to finance the project. “We want to be positioned so we are ‘shovel ready’ for the fall,” he said.
Select Board member Edward Pierce noted occasional issues with water pressure in residences around Page Road near the Lexington line. Manugian confirmed that the new Burlington connection will provide “another way to feed that part of town.”
Asked by board member William Moonan about the timetable for lining water mains, Manugian said all conduits will either be relined or replaced after another “five or six funding cycles.” The lining preserves water quality.
Manugian highlighted the plan as part of a report to the board on some major departmental areas: water, roadways, and Shawsheen Cemetery. He cited departmental and divisional leadership and staff as keys to executing the mission.
He explained that the water system is evaluated on four performance standards: flow, pressure, quality, and sustainability. Flow must be adequate all the time, and pressure not only must meet household needs but also fire protection requirements, he said.
Manugian said keeping water moving through the system discourages formation of chemical or biological reactions. Occasional bleeding of pipes minimizes the amount of time water spends in the system. He also mentioned the increasing demand for water used to irrigate lawns.
Replacement of residential water meters is 99 percent complete, Manugian said, and his office s considering changing to a quarterly billing cycle.
DPW Employing New System for Road Maintenance
Manugian also explained the pavement condition index system, used to identify the time and degree of roadway maintenance. “The roads are in the worst shape in some of our neighborhoods, which have been incredibly patient,” he said.
“We are trying some new things on routine maintenance with pretty positive results,” the director said. “The cost compared to the extended life is very favorable, but at the same time, the amount of effort is much less. So you have busy roads and we are not taking them off-line for a month to reset structures and grind it down. Now it’s days or even hours for some of these.”
Shawsheen Cemetery Upgrade
Irrigation is also a consideration as planning continues for the expansion of the cemetery, Manugian continued. The detailed study is scheduled for fiscal year 2023, followed by construction in fiscal years 2025 and 2026, he said.
Manugian also noted that there are parking issues at the cemetery, exacerbated by users of the adjacent trail network. He said he is exploring a way to “balance respectfully” the needs of cemetery visitors and trail users. Some people are actually parking on the grass, thinking it’s a courtesy to keep the roads clear, he noted.
He added that he is considering some changes in cemetery regulations, such as allowing etched photographic likenesses on headstones. Also, he reported that former residents who have moved away have contacted the DPW about burial plots, but there is a deadline for retroactive purchases.
Asked by Select Board member William Moonan about the response to concerns about cemetery conditions, Manugian said “we have been working on treatment of the cemetery while trying to make sure there is equity on how we manage our time.”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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