CHICOPEE — Chicopee received $250,000 in overflow and stormwater reuse municipal grants to continue the design of sewer separation in the downtown area.
The money is part of $104 million in new low-interest loans and grants that were approved by the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust’s Board of Trustees at its meeting on Dec. 4.
The Trust, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, helps communities build or replace water infrastructure that enhances ground and surface water resources, ensures the safety of drinking water, protects public health and develops resilient communities.
It accomplishes these objectives by providing low-interest loans and grants to cities, towns and water utilities through the Massachusetts State Revolving Funds.
The SRF programs are partnerships between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the state. SRFs function like an environmental infrastructure bank by financing water infrastructure projects in cities and towns across the commonwealth.
Since its establishment in 1989, the trust has loaned nearly $9.6 billion to improve and maintain the quality of water in the commonwealth.
An estimated 97% of Massachusetts’ residents have benefited from the financial assistance of the trust.
The city of Chicopee has been advancing sewer separation projects for over 20 years, according to Water Pollution Control Project Supervisor Quinn Lonczak.
In 2014, the city began designing the downtown area and completed a construction project from 2016 to 2018.
The city then put a pause on remaining design in the downtown area in order to focus on neighborhoods where frequent sewage backups occurred.
This city will complete the remaining base mapping activities within the downtown area, according to Lonczak, who added that conceptual design of the next sub-phase downtown project will also be completed.
This sub-phase was chosen to coincide with the forthcoming Downtown Streetscape project that will provide vehicular and pedestrian improvements.
Lonczak said the department expects to kick off this design project in early 2026 and work through the spring of 2027.
“Our hope is to be prepared for a major utility replacement in the area of the streetscape project well in advance so that the city can effectively touch everything in those rights-of-way and not need to ‘come back’ for further utility work,” Lonczak said. “My personal goal is to make sure this once-in-a-generation project is just that: once in a generation.”
One thing that Lonczak said is important to note is that this grant provides for design progress only and not construction.
