Winter ‘24-’25 Update - Continued Progress on Stormwater Storage Tank and Groundbreaking for the Pump Station

While utility work on nearby Linwood Street is currently on hiatus for the winter season, work continues at the 10 Poplar Street site.

Tank Construction

City contractors are getting ready to put a lid on the City’s new 4-million-gallon (that's approximately 6 Olympic swimming pools worth) stormwater storage tank. Crews are currently working to install steel supports for the tank’s 900 cubic yard concrete slab roof.

Roof installation is expected to take place this upcoming construction season and will mark substantial completion of the tank.



Breaking Ground on Pump Station Construction

With the tank nearing completion, crews have begun excavating the portion of the site that will host the pump station itself. When complete, this pump station will have the capacity to move up to 50 million gallons of water per day.


Why do we need a pump?

This project enables the City to connect to the nearby MBTA drainage system–expanding capacity and delivering a range of benefits (more on that below). However, the MBTA system drainage system is higher than the City’s, so we need a pump to that stormwater up approximately 45 feet to facilitate the connection.

A Note About Dirt

This part of the city was home to a range of industries throughout our city. Over time these activities contaminated some of the underlying soils. As part of this work, the project team has performed extensive testing and removal of these contaminated soils.

Though this work adds time to the schedule, it is a critical component to ensure that this land can safely be used as a community open space/park in the future.

So why are we doing this again?

When completed the pump station will transform how roughly 60% of the city’s stormwater drainage is managed–bringing a range of benefits notably:

  • Flood reduction across Wards Two and Three
  • Healthier water ways by reducing discharge of sewage (CSOs) to nearby waterways during heavy storms
  • Expanding capacity for development throughout the city

The Poplar Street Pump Station is a massive undertaking, but it is just one of the ways Somerville is working to improve how we manage stormwater. To learn more visit somervillema.gov/stormwater.

If you have questions about the project, please email construction@somervillema.gov or call the Engineering Division at (617) 625-6600 ext. 5400.

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