Reports: Executive Director’s Reports

June 21, 2007

  1. City-State Groundwater Working Group - The Working Group will be meeting again on July 26.
  2. BWSC - BWSC is investigating the condition of their pipes in the North End with a focus on the area of low groundwater near the corner of Fulton and Cross Streets.
  3. DCR - DCR is continuing to study the cost and feasibility of temporary recharge of water now being pumped from the west pump station at the Storrow Drive Underpass. They are evaluating the potential alternatives for rebuilding/replacing the tunnel and will include a recommended alternative in their DEIR filing, planned for the end of July.
  4. MBTA - We installed observation wells for the MBTA at the ends of St. Charles and Cazenove Street to help in the evaluation of alternatives for raising groundwater levels in the area.
  5. North End - Along with John Sullivan, I attended the June meeting of the North End Waterfront Residents Association groundwater committee (I had previously attended the meeting in May). John shared the information that he had about the condition of BWSC pipes in the area and plans to begin the video study of the low pipes in the next few days. He also went through some of the changes to piping in the area that could have impacted the former tidal flooding of basements that also served to keep pilings wet.
  6. New Wells - We have incorporated the wells we installed for the T into our network. We have also added four wells (with two more to come) that the T committed to install in the areas of the Arlington and Copley Station rehabilitation projects. We will be installing four additional wells in the North End next month, three near Fulton and Cross Streets and one near the Battery Wharf project, and two new wells on Beacon Street to try to understand the cause of the low point between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets.
  7. The Clarendon - We received the report compiled by Haley & Aldrich on causes of low groundwater in the area of the project. There was much useful data and some indication of potential causes. Our Technical Advisory Committee is evaluating what use can be made of the information.
  8. Website - Traffic has moderated in June from the level of the last two months but remains high by historical standards.
  9. Research Projects - We have hired Patrick Wood as the Wentworth student who will assist Jim Lambrechts and Christian on our project to develop an alternative method of foundation repair. The City has identified a building that we may be able to use to test out the method that looks most feasible. I’m waiting for results of the lab tests at Northeastern on the remote sensing project.
  10. Neighborhood Walking Tour - With Christian, I conducted at walking tour of groundwater related locations in the South End with Nancy Finkelstein of the Union Park Neighborhood Association and about 15 interested neighbors. The reception was very positive, and Nancy has asked me to come back again next year.
  11. Press - There is a new article that our trustee Galen Gilbert wrote for the Fenway News posted to our website.
  12. Comment Letters - I filed letters on the Boston Medical Center, Emmanuel College, and Landsdowne Street Music Hall projects, all of which are posted on our website.