Orleans Breaks Ground on Long-Awaited Wastewater Treatment Project ORLEANS — Select Board Chairman Kevin Galligan welcomed a crowd of 60 to the Village Green recently to mark the groundbreaking for Phase 1 construction of the wastewater treatment facility and collection system.
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he project has been decades in the making. Galligan noted that a key milestone was reached when the Orleans Water Quality Advisory Panel — a panel representing eight different groups and organizations — reached consensus in 2015. “The adults in the room couldn’t get together until we shared our vision for Orleans,” Galligan said. Protecting the town’s water resources was the one thing everyone could agree on. “We’re building an equitable and modern public water and wastewater utility in town,” Galligan said. “Clean waters will be our future.” The project will include traditional wastewater treatments and nontraditional treatments such as permeable reactive barriers and shellfish aquaculture. Sewer infrastructure will be built in high-density areas. “This was a project that had to be done,” said Alan McClennan, vice chairman of the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners. “The downtown had to be done. Meetinghouse Pond had to be done.” It was an effort that took the concerted energies of “our village,” McClennan said when he addressed the crowd. Nine bond issues at town meetings were approved by well over two-thirds majority, and voters approved nine debt exclusions by margins greater than 2 to 1 to increase their taxes. And in June, voters approved spending an additional $12 million on the project after bids came in
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higher than anticipated. The challenge was finding the most cost-effective way forward. The project will receive funding from the State Revolving Fund, the hotel/motel tax and short-term rental tax, the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund and betterment charges for users. Kathleen Theoharides, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said the Baker administration is committed to projects such as this. “It satisfies significant environmental goals as well as economic development opportunities for residents,” she said. The new facility is supported by over $50 million in state revolving fund money. The collection system, wastewater treatment facility, and effluent disposal continued on page 27
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