SOUTHAMPTON — A $2 million water main replacement that was approved at last year’s annual Town Meeting is now underway on College Highway, replacing pipes that are nearly a century old.
According to Southampton Water Superintendent Brett Simmons, weekday construction will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. through the summer, with completion slated for this fall. Drivers are advised to avoid College Highway if possible, as a flagger will direct traffic around northbound lane closures.
The project will replace cast-iron pipes from 1932 with roughly 4,700 feet of 12-inch diameter pipe spanning from Pomeroy Meadow Road to Clark Street. Simmons said when the project is finished, the new pipes will be in full service.
“It’s aging infrastructure and we had a couple water main breaks in the last six years that I know of and they’re expensive,” Simmons said, adding that breaks are more likely with older pipes and cost anywhere between $18,000 and $24,000.
Southampton-based Geeleher Enterprises Inc. is the contractor for the project. Simmons noted that one of the town’s two department employees will be onsite periodically to monitor construction, which must comply with state regulations because College Highway (Route 10) is a state highway.
The project was approved by voters at the 2025 annual Town Meeting under Article 17, authorizing up to approximately $2 million to be used from water enterprise funds. The project will not affect the tax levy.
Simmons said this is the second of two phases to replace the water main under College Highway. The first phase took place in the summer of 2023, replacing piping from Former Road to Clark Street. Simmons explained that the piping being replaced will stay underground because if it was dug up, the project would cost significantly more.
“This project has been a long time in the making and it’s mainly due to the needs of the again growing town and aging infrastructure,” he said.
Westhampton proposes $970K grant-funded solar project at elementary school
WESTHAMPTON — The town is proposing to install solar arrays with a battery energy storage system at the Westhampton Elementary School that, if built, would help pay for the school’s energy costs.
The project requires a special permit, which was reviewed by the Planning Board at a May 11 public hearing. Susan Bronstein, who acted as the board’s chair for the meeting, said she feels the project is a great idea and would be a significant cost saver for the town.
“This will provide revenue for the town with no cost to the town,” Bronstein said. “This is a great idea.”
The project is estimated to cost upwards of $970,000 and if approved, would be funded entirely by a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant that the town has secured. The project would specifically install a “medium-scale” solar array covering approximately 4,800 square feet on the north side of the school property.
Bronstein said the system is anticipated to cover all the school’s energy costs. She added that the school acts as an emergency heating and cooling center in town and this new system will make the facility much more sustainable if an extreme weather event happened. The school’s current boiler used for heating would still be intact if it is needed as well.
If approved, construction will likely take place over the summer to avoid disrupting classes. The Planning Board continued the public hearing to its May 27 meeting, when officials expect to issue a final decision.
Easthampton OKs $30K from free cash for offsite servers
EASTHAMPTON — The City Council OK’d using $30,000 from Free Cash to install a backup data center in a different location than the Municipal Building, in the event of an emergency such as a cyber attack.
The funding was approved by the council at a May 11 meeting, covering half of the total estimated project cost of $60,000 — the other half is coming from the city’s 2021 American Rescue Plan Act funds. Specifically, with this funding the city will install two Dell PowerEdge R670 servers and one PowerVault ME524 storage system.
“The main reason was that in the event of a catastrophe where our data center wouldn’t be available for fire or a cyber attack, we could immediately switch to the secondary location,” IT Director Karin Moyano Camihort said at the meeting, where the funding was approved despite many questions from councilors and some residents.
Camihort said currently the city does not have a backup system for its information technology services and data, making this a necessary project.
“If we do nothing, [and an emergency occurs], the level of risk is high,” Camihort said.
The system that Camihort said has a roughly five-year life expectancy, would also help increase the life expectancy of the city’s main servers, offering a separate location to store resources.
Camihort said that the alternative, less reliable option, would use a cloud-based system that would be paid for monthly. Councilor Newton questioned if the schools would also be able to store data on these servers, but Camihort said that has not been discussed.
Manhan Rail Trail named one of the top bike trails in the state
EASTHAMPTON — The Manhan Rail Trail has been recognized as one of the top bike trails in the state, serving as a go-to spot connecting residents with local nature and attractions.
In its second year, the MassTrails10 campaign through the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) highlights 10 trails across the commonwealth each year, to raise awareness about the Massachusetts’ growing network of trails and the diverse recreation opportunities, routes, amenities and nearby attractions they provide.
“Trails connect people — to nature, to their communities and to opportunities for recreation, wellness and exploration across Massachusetts,” DCR Commissioner Nicole LaChapelle said in a statement. “From coastal paths and historic corridors to rail trails, riverfront greenways and conservation landscapes, these spaces highlight some of our state’s most remarkable natural and cultural assets and support both everyday recreation and long-term community well-being.”
MassTrails10 is part of a broader effort from Gov. Maura Healey’s administration to highlight and expand Massachusetts’ growing network of shared-use paths, which now cover more than 1,000 miles according to the DCR. The MassTrails team consists of staff from DCR, MassDOT, and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and works to expand and connect trails across Massachusetts to strengthen the statewide network of trails and improving connectivity between communities.
