NORTH SMITHFIELD – A business on Central Street will finance an extension to town water lines as part of an effort to expand their operations, with work on the project set to begin late this summer.
Material Sampling Technologies will extend the town’s system from its current end by Marshfield Commons on Mechanic Street to the business’s building at 800 Central St., bringing access to water lines to some 14 homes along the way.
“I think it’s a good project that expands on our system in a responsible way,” said Water & Sewer Supt. William Descoteaux in a presentation to the Town Council on Monday, May 19. “It’s going to enhance the fire protection in that area.”
The initiative to extend the lines comes as part of a planned expansion of the metal reclamation business’s current operations. MST intends to construct a 23,600-square-foot warehouse on a vacant 9.7 acre lot on Central Street, adjacent to their headquarters.
The company received approval from the Planning Board for a Master Plan for the project in 2022, but a request for needed variances was later denied by the town Zoning Board, a decision that followed extensive opposition voiced by area residents. Those living in the primarily residential neighborhood cited concerns about traffic and quality of life, along with the proposed warehouse’s location over an aquifer.
Material Sampling appealed the ruling by zoners in Superior Court and ultimately won the suit, effectively vacating the zoning denial.
Discussions of adding town water lines to the project began last year and the Planning Board approved a one year extension to their approval, giving the business additional time to submit more detailed preliminary plans.
The 1,700-foot line extension would bring water to both of MST’s properties, ending just by the Millville, Mass. town line, and would reportedly help with cooling for operations at a new single-story structure. The project would include construction of a parking lot, four loading docks and three new access driveways, according to initial plans.
News of the water project moving forward marks the second time the business has made headlines in recent weeks. Last Wednesday, a hazmat team was called to the property and employees were evacuated following a leak of silver cyanide.
On Monday, Councilor Rebecca DeCristofaro asked Descoteaux if the water extension would make the expansion safer for area residents.
“Given the nature of this business, the sensitivity of what this business does, – essentially hazardous chemicals – is them hooking up to the water line safer for residents then using their well water?” she asked.
“That area has had some issues,” Descoteaux responded, referencing a previous line extension that brought water to homes along the other side of Mechanic Street and Old Great Road. “That whole line was put in because of contaminated wells. The wells over here are not contaminated, I want to make that clear, but they’re next door to contaminated wells. It does bring them, I would imagine – it would bring me peace of mind knowing that there is safe, potable water right there.”
Councilor David Punchak noted that the water extension will be completed at no cost to the homes in the area.
“The 14 residents that could eventually tie in to this aren’t going to have to pay anything,” noted Punchak. “MST is picking up the full bulk of putting in the main and putting in services to the houses, stopping at the curb.”
Descouteaux noted that the residents will only have to pay for the portion connecting houses to the curb stop.
“As they run the line down to the focus property, they’ll be dropping water services to every property along the way,” he said. “If they want to connect in the future, they can just run the water service right out there. It will already be there.”
“It’s a requirement whenever we expand the distribution system that we require them to drop water services to every property along the way,” he added.
Descouteaux said the new warehouse building is expected to have approximately 12 employees and to utilize about 5,000 gallons of water per day, according to estimates submitted by Casali Engineering. According to a communication to councilors on the project, a hydraulic water model was run on the Slatersville system in 2023, and the resulting reports indicated that water pressure would not be adversely affected by the extension. A sewer main already runs along Central Street.
“They will be connecting to water and sewer if approved,” Descouteaux said.
The superintendent said that work is slated to begin by late summer, and that once the new 8-inch water line is installed, construction will include curb to curb resurfacing of the roadway.
“From what I hear, they’re looking to get this done, if it gets all the approvals, before the construction season is over,” Descouteaux said.
Councilors unanimously approved the extension request.
Seems like a sneaky way to make this project more appealing for the people living in this area. If they are installing a warehouse there is no need for the cooling aspect to be tied to this project. Water supply should be a second project and all approvals of that should be handled separately from the warehouse project.
If water supply was a secondary project I see no reason not do do that separately since they are funding the entire project including repaving which is needed at the top of Mechanic street anyway.
This feels like a great way to circumvent any efforts to protect residents well supply near the business.
Ultimately, these homes will need to pay to connect to the public supply at their own expense which is an additional burden on the homeowner.
“and would reportedly help with cooling for operations at a new single-story structure “
What operations need 5000 gallons of water for cooling?
It was just supposed to be a warehouse to store orders.
Why is the Planning Board allowing businesses that use contaminate products over our aquifer?
It was just an accident and contained. They said it wouldn’t happen.