Town of Middleborough Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for East Grove Water Treatment Plant

From left, Middleborough Select Board Member Bill Pike and his grandson Thomas Fisher, Select Board Member Thomas White, state Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, Select Board Member Brian Giovanoni, state Sen. Kelly Dooner, Select Board Vice Chair Teresa Kelly Farley, state Rep. Norman Orrall, Select Board Chair Mark Germain, and Town Manager Jay McGrail break ground on the East Grove Street Water Treatment Facility on Thursday. (Photo Courtesy Town of Middleborough)

MIDDLEBOROUGH — Town and state officials joined community leaders, residents, and project partners on Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of the East Grove Street Water Treatment Facility, a major investment in Middleborough’s water quality and public health.

Funded through the Massachusetts State Revolving Fund in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the $33 million project will significantly improve the Town’s drinking water reliability and safety for generations to come.

The facility, located at 55 East Grove St., will include a 9,500-square-foot masonry water treatment plant and a 4,500-square-foot pre-engineered vehicle storage building. The new system is designed to treat up to 600 gallons per minute of water from the East Grove dug well. It will remove iron, manganese, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to ensure the town meets and exceeds state and federal water quality standards.

The new facility will house office space, a break room, locker rooms, chemical storage, an electrical room, a laboratory, and a water treatment process area. The existing historical water pump building located on-site will be rehabilitated to maintain its history.

In the spring of 2024, Town Meeting voters approved $33 million in funding for the project. The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust Board of Trustees recently approved a 0% interest loan for Middleborough, with at least 11% principal forgiveness and up to 20% forgiveness — saving the Town millions in repayment.

Weston & Sampson designed the project, including site planning and treatment building engineering. Halifax-based WES Construction Corp. serves as the general contractor, and GHD is the owner’s project manager. 

“We’re here to break ground on an important PFAS treatment plant that’s an essential step forward in protecting drinking water for the health of everybody in our town and the surrounding towns that depend on it,” said Town Manager Jay McGrail. “As everybody here knows, PFAS chemicals are extremely persistent and harmful, but today is proof that we’re not backing down from this challenge, and we’re taking actions to protect ourselves.”

The new facility will bring cutting-edge technology to Middleborough to help remove PFAS from the water supply and meet the highest public health and environmental standards. Middleborough’s goal is for the Town’s water to reach non-detectable levels of PFAS.

“Today isn’t just about breaking ground — it’s about saying thank you to the people involved, building trust, protecting health, and preparing for the future,” McGrail said.

The Town of Middleborough extends its gratitude to the Select Board, Department of Public Works, state Sen. Kelly Dooner, state Reps. Kathleen LaNatra and Norman Orrall, Weston & Sampson, WES Construction Corp., GHD, and the Town’s ratepayers for making this investment possible.

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From left, Weston & Sampson Team Leader Allie Goldberg, Chief Water Operator Taylor Craig, Town Engineer Michael Ohrenberger, Water Superintendent Mike Bumpus, Department of Public Works Director Chris Peck, and Town Manager Jay McGrail at the groundbreaking ceremony for the East Grove Street Water Treatment Facility. (Photo Courtesy Town of Middleborough)

Members of the Middleborough Department of Public Works help break ground at the East Grove Street Water Treatment Facility. (Photo Courtesy Town of Middleborough)

Town Manager Jay McGrail speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the East Grove Street Water Treatment Facility. (Photo Courtesy Town of Middleborough)

An excavator frames a large hole in the ground, where the East Grove Street Water Treatment Facility will be built. (Photo Courtesy Town of Middleborough)