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.