Construction begins on Nahant pump station

NAHANT — Construction on the new Ward Road Pump Station has officially begun.

In June, the entire building of the station was brought down after the discovery of multiple structural issues. The station’s main purpose is to separate the town’s stormwater from wastewater.

The skeletal structure of the new walls has been formed, with the pouring of cement scheduled to begin as soon as next week.

“The new building envelope is designed to withstand the 100-year flood plus 3 feet to account for sea-level rise, which meets current federal construction guidelines,” Town Hall said in a statement.

The project’s original description included replacing pumping, electrical, and mechanical systems inside, waterproofing the exterior using steel, and replacing the roof, all while preserving the existing structure. However, the discovery of multiple structural issues led to the decision to construct an entirely new building. Town Administrator Tony Barletta said that it became apparent that replacing the structure entirely was the more financially sensible decision through a cost-benefit analysis.

Construction for the previous building was completed in 1983. Town Engineer Andrew Smith of Wright-Pierce, an engineering firm, detailed some of the issues found in the old structure, including cinder blocks that were not filled with steel reinforcing; bricks placed horizontally that were adjacent to lintels, such as doors and windows, that were not conjoined with cement; and a 2-ton crane, which lifted the pump out for maintenance travels along a monorail beam, that was not adequately supported.

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