Author Archive: Weston & Sampson (H)

A sidewalk covered in snow with a telephone pole in the middle of the sidewalk.

Where the sidewalk ends: A call for safer streets

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by Greg Guertin. Shel Silverstein’s beloved poem Where the Sidewalk Ends invites us to imagine stepping beyond the pavement into a safer, more welcoming world, a place where imagination thrives, and dangers fade away. Yet in Smithfield, R.I., like in many modern towns, sidewalks often lead us not to safety but directly into harm’s way.

The Bridge Street pilot testing setup.

Testing the Waters: Insights from a Six-Month PFAS Pilot Study

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By Allie Goldberg, PE and Sara Francis, PE. The Bridge Street Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Dedham, Massachusetts, is one of two water treatment facilities that services customers within the Dedham-Westwood Water District (DWWD). Upon the discovery of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the wells serving the WTP, the DWWD contracted with an engineering consultant to complete a feasibility study, and subsequently, a pilot study at the WTP for PFAS removal.

A child walking on a trail surrounded by trees.

Dorchester County Greenbelt Master Plan

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By Kim Morganello, Lucas Hernandez and Rachel Cotter, RLA. Dorchester County, South Carolina, is home to diverse ecosystems, including swamps, blackwater rivers, bottomland hardwood forests, longleaf pine savannahs and tidal marshes. Residents and visitors can partake in outdoor recreational activities across the county’s vast park system, trails, waterways and forests. The county, however, has undergone significant growth and development in recent years, and has embraced the challenge of managing rapid urban growth while also trying to mitigate environmental damage and degradation.

Technician installing VFDs on well pumps at a water treatment plant

The Eversource Business Energy Advantage Program Helps Businesses Achieve Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Goals

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By Rebecca Mauser-Hoye. Eversource’s Business Energy Advantage (BEA) Program is designed to provide cost-effective, turnkey services for medium-sized business customers to help them achieve energy efficiency targets, lower their carbon footprint, and improve building operations. The goal of the program is to help them make small investments that together can generate large benefits for their bottom line and for the environment.

People talking a pop up tent in a park for community engagement.

Chicopee’s Willimansett Brownfields Area-Wide Plan: How Brownfields Can Become Catalysts for Neighborhood Reinvestment

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By Cassie Bethoney. Like many mill towns in the region, the neighborhood of Willimansett in Chicopee, Massachusetts followed a pattern of urban development and had been one of the area’s most thriving industrial centers for over a century. During that time, the neighborhood was almost entirely built out with few land parcels left undeveloped. However, during the mid-20thcentury, businesses began closing, leaving these industrial facilities and structures empty and unused.

A wastewater treatment facility.

CSO mitigation, wet weather flows, and regulatory compliance—a look into Fitchburg’s collection system separation and rehabilitation plan

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By Christopher Mackin and Frank Occhipinti. In 2012, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, entered into a consent decree (CD) with the United States
Department of Justice, EPA, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). This was a result of the city failing to meet the combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharge requirements in its 2010 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit (United States, Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. City of Fitchburg, 2012).

Vape pens and underwear pulled from a school’s wastewater disposal system.

Flush with Success: The Hidden Value of Clean Wastewater Systems in Commercial Real Estate

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By Bill Idarola. In the competitive world of commercial real estate, the often-overlooked cleanliness and maintenance of wastewater disposal systems can make a significant difference. Proper management of these systems not only protects property values and operational efficiency but also helps avoid costly blockages, environmental fines, and unwanted publicity.