Burlington Receives Key Approval For MWRA Membership

BURLINGTON, MA — Burlington recently received a key approval needed to join the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Public Works Director John Sanchez told the Board of Selectmen, Monday.

The town received approval from the state water resources commission for an inter-basin transfer Nov. 12, which Sanchez called the one of the biggest obstacles to the town joining the regional authority.

The town also built the first phase of the physical connection, with a pipe to Lexington giving the town access to an additional million gallons per day of water.

"That water main has been tested," Sanchez said. "Right now it is 90 to 95 percent complete."

The town needs a couple more permits, but those will be easier to get, he said.

Design for the next phase, which will allow the town to abandon the Vine Brook plant entirely, has begun. The goal is to begin construction next year and complete it by the end of 2022.

With the phase one connection complete, the town will not need as severe of water bans as it has had recently, Sanchez said. The extra million gallons will not completely satisfy the town's need, but the restrictions are unlikely to be as severe as in 2020.

The full meeting is available here from BCAT.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.