House Panel Advances $50M Haverhill Sewer Authorization After Spill
A U.S. House committee has advanced a proposed $50 million federal authorization for Haverhill wastewater infrastructure, increasing the amount under consideration by $10 million after a June storm broke a major sewer line in two places.
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Seth Moulton during its consideration of H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026. The amendment raises the proposed Water Resources Development Act authorization for Haverhill wastewater upgrades from $40 million to $50 million.
The committee action took place in July 2026. The exact date of the markup was not stated in the congressional release announcing the amendment.
A failure on the city’s main wastewater route
The proposed increase follows a June 26 torrential rainstorm that overwhelmed and broke Haverhill’s 42-inch wastewater force main in two places, according to Moulton’s office.
The force main carries most of the city’s wastewater from the South Mill Street Pumping Station to the Haverhill Wastewater Treatment Plant. Because the line serves such a large share of the city’s wastewater flow, the failure affected a central part of Haverhill’s wastewater system.
The treatment plant is identified in a Massachusetts public bid solicitation as being at 40 South Porter Street. The solicitation records a 2026 pre-bid conference for work at the facility, providing additional context for the city’s ongoing wastewater infrastructure needs.
What the authorization would mean
The larger authorization could create a pathway for substantial repair and resilience work on Haverhill’s wastewater system if the measure is later enacted and funding is provided. It does not, by itself, mean that $50 million has been delivered to the city.
The committee amendment is an authorization within a broader federal water infrastructure bill. An authorization sets a level for a potential federal program or project, while an appropriation or other funding action is needed for money to become available for construction.
That distinction matters for Haverhill. The congressional announcement does not report that the $50 million has been appropriated, awarded or obligated, and it does not establish that repairs tied to the authorization have begun.
Next steps remain in Washington
The amendment was adopted during committee consideration of H.R. 9497. The final status of the Water Resources Development Act and any later federal funding action were not stated in the announcement.
For Haverhill, the immediate significance is that the city’s wastewater problems now have a larger proposed federal authorization attached to them following the force-main failure. The practical effect will depend on later congressional action and whether funding is ultimately provided for eligible repair or resilience work.
The June failure involved the line connecting the South Mill Street Pumping Station with the treatment plant, while the proposed federal authorization concerns broader wastewater upgrades. The available public announcements do not identify a construction schedule, a final project scope or a deadline for the work.
Sources
- Moulton Secures $50 Million for Haverhill Sewer Repairs in Water Resources Development Act to Address Sewage Spill, Office of U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton
- City of Haverhill wastewater treatment plant bid solicitation, Massachusetts COMMBUYS
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