Pembroke is moving forward with a critical component of its $8 million water infrastructure overhaul after the Conservation Commission cleared the way for a new centralized treatment facility. The project, located at 660 Washington Street, aims to resolve iron and manganese levels that have plagued the town’s water supply since 2009. Senior Project Engineer Drew Glant of Apex Companies presented the plans for the 4,900-square-foot single-story metal building, which will process 1.5 million gallons per day and include upgrades to Well 2 and a full replacement of Well 3.

The commission scrutinized the environmental footprint of the project, which sits on a 41-acre wooded site. While the development requires clearing approximately 8 acres of land, Conservation Agent Melissa Simpson clarified that the impact on jurisdictional areas is minimal. The vegetation being removed in the buffer zone only adds up to about 80 square feet, Simpson noted. Chair Gino Fellini, who initially expressed concern regarding the loss of vegetated areas, found the specific numbers reassuring, stating the impact was not even remotely close to the total clearing figures. Motion Made by Member (Speaker 7) to close the public hearing for 660 Washington Street (DEP #056-1140). Motion Passed (Unanimous).

Board members also pressed the engineering team on emerging contaminants. R. Madden asked, Can you tell me where the iron and manganese come from? Has it been there the whole time? Glant explained the minerals are naturally occurring in local aquifers. When the discussion turned to "forever chemicals," Ryan Paul, Principal at Apex Companies, informed the board that the facility is designed to be "PFAS ready." Paul explained, We wanted to make sure that if we need to treat for PFAS in the future, the site is ready so we don't have to reinvent the wheel. It's not included now because it costs a lot of money and isn't required at this stage. Motion Made by R. Madden to issue the Order of Conditions for the Well 2 and 3 water treatment plant. Motion Passed (Unanimous).

The meeting took a frustrated turn during a separate hearing for another project at 660 Washington Street when the applicant failed to appear. Abutter Mark expressed disappointment over the lack of communication from the developer, noting that residents received short notice for previous sessions. That they don't even show up and don't tell you is not great; it doesn't speak well for the developer, he said. Simpson suggested a rescheduling to allow for a pending stormwater management peer review by the Planning Board. Motion Made by Member (Speaker 2) to reschedule the hearing for 660 Washington Street to June 4th at 7:00 PM. Motion Passed (Unanimous).

The evening included several technical inquiries from the board. One member (Speaker 7) asked for quantification of the buffer zone impacts, noting, I noticed the majority of this 8-acre disturbance is outside our jurisdictional areas. Regarding location, Member (Speaker 8) admitted, I'm having trouble getting a picture of where this is, prompting a detailed map review of the area near Center and West Streets. Addressing maintenance of the filtration system, Member (Speaker 9) asked, What about the storage of chemicals? Paul assured the commission that all chemicals are stored in poly tanks with secondary containment. Toward the end of the session, Member (Speaker 2) asked, I was wondering if we could go into executive session for a very short period of time to talk together about Baker Street, though the request was denied because the item was not formally listed on the agenda.

The commission also paused to honor the memory of Robert "Ben" Margro, the longtime Pembroke Health Agent and Air Force veteran who recently passed away. A board member (Speaker 7) delivered a tribute to Margro’s legacy, stating, Pembroke benefited tremendously from Ben's breadth and scope of knowledge. He was a humble but tirelessly committed servant of our community. The board observed a moment of silence in his honor, noting his commitment to the local environment.