It was one year ago today, Aug. 8, 2023, that a brief but intense microburst dropped more than 6 inches of rain on some parts of Needham and flooded more than 200 homes and businesses. Much of the water wound up in residents’ basements.
The storm underscored the inadequacy of the town’s drainage system in the face of such an intense storm. But since then, said Department of Public Works Director Carys Lustig, “We’ve met with a hundred or more homeowners and property owners to try to come up with short-term solutions.”
Short-term solutions could be as simple as elevating basement appliances and making sure downspouts and sump pumps drain away from homes. Long-term solutions are harder to come by.
A Stormwater By-law Working Group was created after the storm to bolster bylaws and building codes with an eye toward better management of stormwater.
Unlike nearby communities, “Needham has bylaws but no regulations,” said Select Board Chair Kevin Keane, who also heads the working group. “We’ll be asking the Select Board to re-examine the bylaws and pass regulations.” That would give the DPW and the Building Department more teeth in overseeing construction.
As it stands now, the DPW can make suggestions, but is limited in what it can require of property owners. “We’re only allowed to regulate what we’re allowed to regulate,” said Lustig.
Lustig said the town is working with the consultant Data Engineering on how to keep stormwater from overwhelming the system in a heavy rain.
In May, Town Meeting approved $13.6 million for the second phase of construction of a pipeline that conveys one-third of the town’s wastewater. That current pipeline is “struggling to handle the sewer flow,” according to the article language.
Another $250,000, plus a matching amount in federal funds, will pay to evaluate the condition of the existing stormwater drainage system.
An additional $225,000 was approved for the design phase to improve brooks and culverts on the section of Alder Brook from Webster Street at Dedham Avenue to the Charles River.
So what is happening in the Heights, on Bennington Street, which has been all but impassable since late May because of a phalanx of front end loaders, excavators, backhoes and other construction equipment? Bennington is near the intersection of Concord Street and Burnside Road, one of the neighborhoods affected by last year’s flooding.
“Two things,” said Lustig. “Replacement of a water main, and storm-drain-capacity improvement.” The water main is nearly 100 years old. The new storm drain will be larger than the one it replaces. The town was able to attack both issues at once.
Will there be more Bennington Streets? “There will likely be more Bennington Streets,” said Lustig. “But probably not until 2027 or 2028.”
There are no quick fixes, either for replacing those old water mains or improving the town’s ability to handle heavy rain. But as storms increase in frequency and intensity, Keane believes the town is headed in the right direction. “Engineering is done thoughtfully, not on a whim,” he said. ”We’re not sure how it will end, but the process has begun.”
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