Littleton Sewer System
The Littleton Sewer System serves about 100 commercial and residential properties around Littleton Common. Sewer supports the Town’s goal of economic development and protects the environment and Littleton’s water resources by reducing the use of septic systems.
Littleton Common Sewer System
The system consists of about 3.5 miles of sewer main, a wastewater resource recovery facility at 238 King Street, and a discharge site near 56 King Street. It is permitted by the MassDEP for up to 243,000 gallons per day.
The boundaries of the system are shown on the map nearby. The sewer collections system runs from the Westford town line south on King Street, and from the business area on Great Road west to the Common. From there, the system travels south on King Street to Shattuck Street and across lots to Russell Street. It meets the WRRF at 238 King Street, and after treatment, effluent is piped to the discharge site adjacent to Littleton High School.                                                   Â
The new WRRF treatment processes include buried storage/equalization tanks to receive sewerage from the collection system, mechanical screens to remove any debris, and exterior bioreactor tanks and interior membrane tanks to treat and filter the water. The WRRF building houses the facility’s electrical and control rooms, process air blowers, chemical storage and feed systems, and other ancillary equipment. An effluent pumping station conveys the recovered water to the subsurface discharge site. A carbon odor control unit treats air from the WRRF building and the equalization storage tanks.
The $45 million project is funded by a mix of state and federal funds, and betterment charges paid by sewer customers. No local tax dollars were appropriated for the project. The project received $11 million in MassWorks grants and $2 million in federal ARPA funding. The Mass. Clean Water Trust has provided $29.4 million in low-interest loans.
Project History
Under the leadership of the Board of Water Commissioners, LELWD completed design and permitting of sewer system in the Fall of 2022, put the project out to bid in the winter months, and started construction in the Spring/Summer of 2023. The sewer collection system and WRRF were completed on schedule by the Fall of 2025.
Prior to the new sewer construction, LELWD operated a small sewer system serving town-owned building including the fire station, Littleton Historical Society, town offices, library, Alumni Field, Littleton High School, Littleton Middle School, and the Russell Street Elementary School.
Littleton residents and commercial properties used septic systems or small privately operated treatment systems. With concerns over the impacts of the septic systems on the environment and water quality, drinking water protection, and to meet the needs of a growing community, LELWD championed an effort to build the new WRRF and expanded the existing sewer collection system.
Project planning began in 2020, starting with a needs assessment that evaluated impacts from septic systems and leading to the recommendation to construct a new centralized WRRF with membrane biological reactor treatment technology, as well as recovery of facility effluent (treated water) for groundwater recharge beneath the playing fields adjacent to LHS.
Questions?
If you have questions about the sewer system, please call 978-540-2222 or submit the form below.
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