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Weston & Sampson designed and provided construction administration for an alternative wastewater collection system that uses septic tank technology combined with traditional collection methods to provide for a low-cost, low-pressure collection system for the City of Gloucester, Massachusetts. The first large-scale Septic Tank Effluent Pump (STEP) system to be installed in New England, this system has helped Gloucester to resolve a pollution problem related to water quality deterioration and shellfish bed contamination, which was the result of inadequate on-site wastewater disposal and direct sewage discharges in the area adjacent to the Annisquam River and Ipswich Bay.
Weston & Sampson’s efforts enabled Gloucester to protect and enhance the vital shellfish and recreational resources of this area. Soon after completion, the local shellfish warden opened several of the clamflats in the Annisquam River that had previously been closed for decades. Our design earned a 1999 Engineering Excellence Award from the American Consulting Engineers Council of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA), formerly the American Consulting Engineers Council of New England (ACEC/NE).