The Falmouth Enterprise online and printed 2/9/24 on page 1 as âTown Hires Firm to Help With Outfall Pipe Planâ.
By GILDA GEIST
The town has contracted with an engineering firm that will take on preliminary design and permitting for an offshore outfall pipe. The intended purpose of the outfall pipe is to discharge treated wastewater from the townâs treatment facility into Vineyard Sound.
The engineering firm is GHD, an international company with an office in Hyannis. GHD is the firm the town has used for a number of other projects related to wastewater and nitrogen reduction. Water quality management committee chairman Stephen D. Rafferty announced the contract in a water quality management committee meeting Wednesday, February 7.
The funding for GHDâs contract was passed as part of the town budget in last yearâs November Town Meeting.
The town had its first meeting with GHD about the offshore outfall pipe last week, Mr. Rafferty said. Next, GHD will meet with GZA, the consulting firm the town hired to take marine sediment borings at the preferred site for the outfall pipe, which is Kite Park in Falmouth Heights. These borings will provide critical information to the town and its partners about the soil.
Mr. Rafferty said he would be speaking with the state Office of Coastal Zone Management to get permission to do these marine borings, which he hopes will be done in the fall.