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The Sudbury Department of Public Works is responsible for an enormous amount of critical work and infrastructure in Sudbury. They were kind enough to take some time and answer a few questions about the initiatives they’re focused on right now, and others on the roadmap in the near future.
The DPW has been publishing a lot of informational materials about sustainable and safe practices in home maintenance, snow and ice removal, and many other topics. How did this effort get started, and what are your goals?
The Public outreach started with the introduction of the Comprehensive Waste Water Management Plan. The Town currently does not have the means or a facility to collect and treat wastewater. This means that everyone, including commercial and industrial facilities have to handle their wastewater on site with septic system. Out of this outreach program we began to include other topics to better educate the residents about being more environmentally conscious while going about their day to day lives. The goal is to educate residents on the impact they may have on Environmental Sustainability by doing something a simple as washing their car on grass or gravel (pervious surfaces) therefore preventing soap and contaminants from entering the stormwater system, ultimately flowing into a stream, pond, or wetland.
What are the current sustainability priorities for the Department of Public Works?
We are currently making great strides in stormwater management. This is accomplished by monitoring outfalls for contaminants of concern, identifying the source and planning a remediation process to correct any issues. One way that this is done is by installing rain gardens to divert and organically treat stormwater prior to letting it get to any stream, pond, or wetland.
The DPW has shared a lot of information about stormwater pollution. Can you tell us a bit about why that’s such an important topic in Sudbury?
Stormwater is a large concern, not only for Sudbury, but for all municipalities nationwide. Geographically, the Town has a very large amount of acreage consumed by ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands. It is critical that these areas do not become contaminated by polluted stormwater as once a water body becomes contaminated the remediation costs skyrocket exponentially as well as upsetting the balance of the ecosystem.
The DPW has been consistently investing in culvert repair and replacement. What the heck are culverts, and why are they an ongoing focus area in Sudbury?
As mentioned earlier, the Town has many rivers and streams which are traversed by roadways and now, new rail trails. In order for the safe passage of motorists and pedestrians culverts (a structure or conduit that allows water to flow under a road, railroad, trail, or similar obstruction from one side to the other) are placed in appropriate locations to ensure a hydraulic connection is maintained. Many of the culverts in Town are failing due to age, type of structure, (stone, steel, aluminum, or concrete) and are requiring replacement. Many are undersized and are contributing to some road flooding at times. It is imperative that these structures are maintained and replaced on an ongoing basis so as to limit the disruption of the normal flow of traffic. Permitting and design criteria greatly influence the speed at which a culvert is replaced as well as appropriate funding.
The DPW has had to deal with some unique storms this winter, and heavy rain for much of last year. How do these weather events/patterns impact your operations? What has been the key to successfully ensuring public safety and maintaining Sudbury’s infrastructure as you face these challenges?
Storm patterns have changed considerably over the last few years. We have been experiencing many more rain, ice, and wind events recently. This presents a huge challenge for our Public Works team. We are very cognizant about the amount of anti icing materials that we use. Rain and freezing rain events force us at times to reapply material at a rate higher than a good old fashioned snow storm. During a “normal” snow event we can usually clear the roads of snow by mechanical means (plowing), apply a round of salt and call it a day. With rain and freezing rain events we have to continually monitor road conditions and treat/apply salt as conditions demand. On top of this, saturated and unstable soils allow for trees to become uprooted and topple on to roadways creating more work for our already taxed team. These storms are very demanding on personnel, equipment, and budgets. Our dedicated and experienced team is the key to handling any storm or emergency while always keeping public safety as our goal.
Is there anything else residents should know about the work the Sudbury Department of Public Works will be doing for the community in 2024?
We are already planning for our 2024 paving and pavement preservation program. There are plans for intersection improvements and a bridge replacement subject to funding. Keep a lookout for a Public Works open house to be held sometime in May.