Brewer visits both waterline installation projects
By Caitlyn Kelleher

Ashburnham Water Department foreman Mark Peterson points out connection points to Town Administrator Kevin Paicos as they tour the Fitchburg Road/Route 12 waterline installation project with State Sen. Stephen Brewer, who spoke with Chuck Doherty, the owner of CJ Doherty, who is installing the pipes.

State Sen. Stephen Brewer made a quick trip to town on Tuesday, Oct. 3 to visit the Page Beach area and Fitchburg Road to see the progress on two waterline installation projects.

Brewer, who was instrumental in getting funding from the state for the two projects, inspected the construction on Fitchburg Road/Route 12. Contractors Chuch Dorehty and engineer Larid Walsh, of GCG Engineers Associates, updated Brewer and town officials on the project.

"In five or six days we'll have the mains complete," said Doherty. "We'll have water flowing in about a week."

If the project stays on track, which Doherty believes it will unless they hit any more large boulders, then it will be completed about a month ahead of schedule.

Doherty is working on replacing the existing water main between River Styx Road and the center of town. He has completed the work extending the line down Fitchburg Road for 5,000 feet.

Construction began in August after the state 21J Board, which controls the Petroleum Cleanup Fund, agreed to reimburse contractors for the work during their June 28 meeting.

"You took that leap of faith and we will honor that," Brewer told Doherty and Walsh. "This is a project that we didn't think we'd have for a few more years."

The state board controls how much money private companies can draw from the fund as reimbursement for fixing leaks and mitigating other problems that originate from underground gas tanks, such as the one at the garage.

The Boutwells, the owners of the former Boutwell's Garage - which sits next to their home on Fitchburg Road, are considered the responsible party for the traces of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBe) - a possible human carcinogen - in the groundwater. The Boutwells had the underground tanks

removed from their property in September and environmental and fire department officials said there was no sign of any leaks from those tanks.

Town Administrator Kevin Paicos said the projects would not have come to fruition without Brewer's involvement and assistance.

"People are getting water," Brewer said.

The group, which included water department foreman Mark Peterson and Montachusett Regional Planning Commission Representative Shelly Hatch, also visited the Page Beach area.

The project to upgrade the existing water main there is nearly completed after a state grant.

Peterson said the money allowed for the two-inch plastic pipe to be replaced with a six-inch pipe that was buried further underground. The project will service 66 homes, which have moved from seasonal homes along Lower Neaukeag Lake to year-round residences.

"I was out here on average every seven days fixing a break (during the winter)," Peterson said.

Brewer started working on this project with the town four years ago when a public hearing was held in one of the homes on the street.

"People brought real evidence (of the need)," he said.

At one time many residents helped their neighbors by providing water to each other through garden hoses strung through the windows.

"I was always moved by this one," Brewer said.

Fire protection in the area also increased, Peterson said. There are now 12 fire hydrants instead of two.

The only part of the project left to complete is the connections to the homes and resurfacing the road, Paicos said.