Cambridge Planning Board Reviews $1.29 Billion Sewer Plan, Kendall Square Heat Pump Progress

CAMBRIDGE -- June 30, 2026, Cambridge Planning Board hears sweeping utility presentations covering a $1.29 billion sewer overflow plan and a Kendall Square heat pump nearing construction. At its June 30 remote meeting, the board received annual briefings from four entities, the Department of Public Works, the Cambridge Water Department, Vicinity Energy, and Eversource, with no substantive votes taken beyond a 6-0 procedural motion to conclude the discussion. City Engineer Jim Wilcox unveiled a draft combined sewer overflow control plan, submitted to federal and state regulators on April 30 and described as the first in the nation to incorporate climate change projections, carrying a total estimated cost of $1.29 billion and roughly 30 years of construction. A 2.1 million gallon CSO holding tank at 135 Sherman Street is already in design. Water Department Director Rich Hawley reported approximately 1,100 lead service lines remain in the system ahead of a 2030 state removal deadline, while noting a 20 percent chance Cambridge may need to tap its MWRA emergency water supply before year's end amid a Level 3 drought. Vicinity Energy's Matt O'Malley reported a 35-megawatt industrial heat pump, projected to be the world's largest when operational, is under construction on the Charles River and targeting a 2028 commercial start date. Eversource confirmed its underground Kendall Square substation remains on schedule for energization in 2029, and disclosed plans to file state permits for two high-voltage underground cable replacement routes in the first quarter of 2027.