Little Pond Project – Falmouth, MA – Bal-Last™ Interlocking Ballast Systems

7/5/2019

This Cape Cod community was facing a need to remove sources of nitrogen from groundwater. The Cape Cod region communities are seeing impacts in inland water bodies and sole source aquifers. There are many options being looked at and several treatment and mitigation measures are in use or in the planning stages.

Falmouth had the need to achieve a 100% reduction in nitrogen from onsite septic systems. It was determined that a system of sewage collection was needed to achieve this goal.

In April of 2014 Falmouth Town Meeting authorized $41M through a series of betterment assessments and local tax levy (70/30 split) to fund these improvements.

The Falmouth Department of Public Works issued bid notices in October 2015. The project scope was to service 1400 homes with a combination of gravity and pressure sewer connections. 712 homes are to be serviced with pressure sewer connections.

The Town scope was to install mainline sewers and lift stations and to purchase grinder pumps for each home as part of the overall bond issue. The Town of Falmouth website has a great many details on policies established for the installation, ownership and maintenance of grinder pumps.

PROCUREMENT

INSTALLER TRAINING

Falmouth chose to specify a 3 year supply contract with a five year comprehensive warranty package. The bid specifications were opened up to encourage competitive bids. The Team of Environment One and F R Mahony & Associates and Bal-Last Interlocking Systems were the successful bidders. Proper ballast was key to installations in sandy soils subject to fluctuating groundwater levels and seasonal flooding. Approximately 60% of the installations are in flood zones.

BAL-LAST Bal-Last sets were delivered by truckloads to coincide with pump deliveries. One load of Bal-Last was sent for every two loads of pumps. Our local precaster William N. Lamarre from Greenville, NH made these deliveries. The Falmouth DPW facilities were used to store pumps and Bal-Last for installers. As permits were issued, installers could take delivery of the materials needed to complete the installation.