NAHANT — The water main break on Nov. 29 was the most recent in a string of problems stemming from the town’s water, sewer, and drainage problems. In April, there was a sewer break on the Lynnway in Lynn that cost the town more than $1.3 million, says selectman Enzo Barile.
“We have a major infrastructure issue in town with water and sewer,” he said. “Something needs to be done and we want to make sure that everybody understands the costs that will be associated with this. People need to have an understanding of what we’re up against.”
The Board of Selectmen and the Advisory and Finance Committee will meet to find a solution for the problems Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Nahant Town Hall.
An engineer will present options for fixing the problem that include a complete overhaul, or taking the project on in smaller bites, said Barile.
One option would be eliminating the portion of the pipe route that goes beneath the Lynnway and instead installing pipes that go across the harbor. The pipes would still travel beneath the town’s causeway, he said.
“It would eliminate a lot of the roadway stuff,” said Barile. “Right now there are a lot of vibrations, accidents with people hitting the pipes. That’s a lot of what’s going on. It seems like we’re having a lot of problems lately.”
A study on how to solve the problem was completed by CES Engineering under previous administrator Mark Cullinan more than five years ago.
Funding for the repairs will go before Town Meeting in April, but it’s important for residents and voters to understand the problem now, he said.