State Will Lend $1M To Upgrade Worcester Pump Station That Failed

WORCESTER, MA — The state will grant Worcester $1 million to make upgrades at the Lake Avenue pump station, which was the site of a massive sewage spill into Lake Quinsigamond in 2022.

The funding will come from a bond bill passed last year by state lawmakers. Gov. Charlie Baker late in 2022 authorized a $1 million state bond to benefit the pumping station.

"The failures of the Lake Ave. Pumping Station are unacceptable to the city of Worcester, to the local environment, and to the residents who live on and near the shores of this wonderful lake," state Sen. Michael Moore said in a news release.

Moore added the pump station funding request to a larger $11.3 billion transportation and climate bond bill passed by lawmakers in August.

In February 2022, a loose impeller blade cut a 6-inch gash in a pump inside the Lake Avenue station. The pump sprayed untreated sewage into a portion of the station that was supposed to remain dry. The flood destroyed electronic systems, causing the whole facility to shut down. About 6 million gallons of untreated sewage flooded Lake Quinsigamond during the 36-hour crisis.

Last month, Worcester reached a settlement with the state Department of Environmental Protection over the spill. The city will pay a $13,000 fine, and will be required to conduct a forensic evaluation of the pumping station, and submit a plan for improvements to MassDEP.

The city plans to begin making upgrades at the Lake Avenue pump station in 2023, according to Moore's office.

The pump station is located about 1/4-mile south of the Burns Memorial Bridge between Lake Avenue and the lakefront.