MWRA announces water main replacement work in Point of Pines area

New 4,800 feet of water pipeline will run from Revere to Lynn

By Barbara Taormina

REVERE – Officials from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) were at the last Conservation Commission meeting to present their plan to run a 20-inch water main from Revere to Lynn under the Saugus River. The new pipeline is a replacement for a 19-inch cast iron pipe that was attached under the General Edwards Bridge. That pipe – installed 90 years ago – was capped in 2018 because of severe corrosion. The new water pipeline will be part of the MWRA’s Section 56, which services Revere, Lynn and several other North Shore communities. According to the MWRA, it will ensure system redundancy and reliability for residents, increase public safety and boost environmental health.

The plan involves the installation of 4,800 feet of water pipeline 40 feet below the river bed using horizontal directional drilling. There will also be installation of 20-inch water mains on Rice Avenue in Revere and Hanson Street in Lynn using open-cut methods to connect the underwater pipeline to the MWRA’s existing Section 56 pipeline located in Route 1A.

Work would begin in Lynn next year in a mostly vacant commercial space. Work in Revere is slated to start in October 2025. MWRA staff stressed several times that the sequencing was designed to avoid any disruption of Revere’s summer beach season. No plovers will be disturbed.

According to the MWRA, nine different options were considered for the pipe replacement. The underwater pipe is considered the most efficient and least disruptive to the environment.

But a Rice Avenue resident questioned if hollowing out the river floor and digging out tons of river sediment is the best option for the environment. The MWRA believes it is and they have a plan to manage the removal of sediment and debris on a daily basis with none of it being dumped into the river or on wetlands.

Commission members also expressed concerns about the work scheduled for Rice Avenue, saying it comes very close to neighborhood homes. But MWRA officials said they will have open lines of communication with residents, who will receive notifications about ongoing construction.

The Conservation Commission plans to hold more discussions on the MWRA plan with public input.