Sewer Infiltration Fixed, Opening Doors for Park Place Industrial Development-August 29, 1978

Municipal and state officials have confirmed that long-standing sewer capacity hurdles facing the Park Place Industrial Park are finally easing. According to the state Division of Water Pollution Control, the town successfully eliminated 14,000 gallons per day of extraneous groundwater infiltration leaking into the town-MDC sewer system.

The breakthrough follows an enforcement action last May by the state Department of Environmental Quality Engineering (DEQE), which barred the park’s developers from connecting to municipal sewer lines until leakage was reduced. Under a subsequent remediation ratio established by the Division of Water Pollution Control, the town was permitted to add one gallon of new commercial sewage for every two gallons of leakage eliminated.

The successful reduction clears the path for MJS Realty Trust—represented by developer James H. Shane—to introduce 7,000 gallons of new sewage daily into the system. Norwood Health Director Bartley J. King announced last night that this capacity will service waste disposal for three of the project’s 21 commercial lots, thereby removing the primary roadblock preventing the town from issuing building permits for those parcels.

Temporary Septic Plans and Route 1 Warehouse Approval

Shane noted that two lots within Park Place have already been developed and are currently occupied by tenants utilizing town-approved temporary septic systems while awaiting eventual sewer hookups before project completion. Furthermore, Shane indicated he intends to submit preliminary septic plans for all remaining unserviced lots as an insurance policy should future sewer remediation efforts stall.

In a related zoning and health matter during the same board session, tentative approval was granted for a temporary 900 gallon-per-day septic system to service a proposed 72,000-square-foot warehouse. Representing Beta Construction Corp., Domenic Giampetro explained that while the firm initially planned a direct sewer connection, the project encountered the same regional capacity roadblocks affecting Park Place. Located near the former Norwood Arena site opposite Furlong’s Candy on Route 1, the temporary septic system received board backing pending final approval from the Conservation Commission, with the stipulation that it will be abandoned once a tie-in to the MDC sewer line becomes feasible.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger