Madison St. Water Main Replacement

Challenge

The Wrentham Water Department required the replacement of two existing 12-inch dead end watermains with a new 16-inch loop through Madison Street.  The purpose of this project was to increase fire flows and provide redundancy throughout the water distribution system.  Despite the critical nature of this watermain loop, the project had never been attempted because of ledge outcrops found at the center of Madison Street.  GZA was asked to design the installation of a 16-inch reinforcing watermain along the entire length of Madison Street from East St (Rt. 106) to Washington St (Rt. 1) for a total length of 8,940 feet.  In addition to the watermain loop design the water department also required full-depth road reconstruction with modernized stormwater management.

Solution

GZA designed the new 16-inch watermain and service connections to minimize service interruptions and maintain fire flow to existing commercial and residential properties.  New stormwater features such as bioswales and regrading were implemented at various locations along Madison Street to promote improved drainage under the Massachusetts Stormwater Standards.  GZA successfully fast-tracked the completion of construction documents and the bid phase in a timely manner such that the project was able to meet the Water Department’s scheduling needs.  

GZA provided construction administration and full-time resident project representation for the duration of the construction phase.  GZA’s close coordination with the Contractor and rigorous trench and traffic safety protocols were instrumental to the success of the construction phase. The project is currently under construction and on schedule with a completion date anticipated for Fall 2020.

Benefit

GZA’s successful execution of the Madison Street watermain loop delivered one of the most important projects to the Wrentham Water Department in recent years.