Department of Public Works Provides Update on Mechanic Street Pump Station Repair

The City of Portsmouth’s Mechanic Street Pump Station experienced an equipment failure in January that left only one of the station’s three pumps operational. The pump station continues to operate and passes the required flows to the Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility. In order to ensure redundancy and manage high flow events, the City mobilized two temporary engine-driven backup pumps in the Pump Station’s parking lot. The pumps are connected with large temporary pipes to the existing infrastructure.

The City is working to complete repairs as quickly as possible and has shipped the main pumps off-site for refurbishment. These large pumps require specialized work and parts.  Anticipating a long duration to repair the pumps the City has taken steps to install quiet pumps and modified operations to minimize impacts to the neighborhood.

This emergency repair project only addresses the current equipment need, a larger upgrade of the station has been funded and is currently in design.  

For additional information, please contact Shane Nicols the City’s Pump Station Foreman at (603) 957-8003 or Erich Fiedler City Engineer at (603) 380-4704.