Wright-Pierce’s 2025 Calendar Series highlights projects featured in our yearly calendar. We kick off this year’s series with a look at our Chaffee Brook Pump Station Project.
Pump Station Project Overview
The Chaffee Brook Pump Station Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Abatement Project in Winslow, Maine, is an exciting initiative aimed at enhancing the Town’s wastewater management system. Led by Lead Project Engineer Corey Lewis and Senior Project Manager Mike Stein, this project focuses on upgrading the wastewater pump station located on Chaffee Brook Road to increase its capacity and reduce CSO discharges. The goal is to boost the station’s capacity from 5.1 million gallons per day (MGD) to 7.4 MGD. Additionally, the project will improve the station’s wastewater process, control, and electrical support systems.
One of the key components of this project is the installation of dual 16-inch force mains under the Kennebec River, connecting to the Kennebec Sanitary Treatment District’s interceptor sewer. These force mains replace a single, 12-inch force main. This upgrade is part of a comprehensive plan to enhance the station’s pumping system and improve its overall efficiency. Additionally, the project includes dry flood-proofing improvements to protect the pump station control building from flooding, ensuring it can withstand water levels up to three feet above a 100-year flood event.
A Phased Approach
The project is being carried out in two phases. Phase I, which involved the installation of the new dual force mains, was completed in December 2024. Phase II will focus on the pump station upgrades and is anticipated to begin later this year with completion expected in 2027.
About the Photo
Discipline Design Specialist Ryan Beisaw captured the included image of the project, which shows an open cut excavation along the bottom of the river to install two 16-inch sewer force main pipes. In the background, crew fuse the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe and the two force main with concrete collars attached.
When asked about what made the project calendar-worthy, Ryan said, “We don’t often have projects that occur in the water, so when the opportunity came up to be able to capture some of the work, we made sure to get it. It was a good chance to capture the barge in the river with the excavators aboard and the pipe stretched out in the background. The fresh snow in the trees was just a bonus for the photo landscape.”
Project Impact
The Chaffee Brook Pump Station CSO Abatement Project is a significant win for environmental protection in Winslow. By increasing the capacity of the pump station and implementing flood-proofing measures, the Town is taking proactive steps to improve its wastewater management, plan for future infrastructure needs, and continue to protect water quality in its receiving waters.
Contact us to learn more about the project or how we can provide similar services to your community or if you’d like a copy of Wright-Pierce’s 2025 wall calendar.