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9-10-2023 12:42am
Grant Awarded to Norwood for Stormwater Infrastructure is a Step Toward Avoiding the Type of Flooding that Closed Norwood Hospital
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Photo by Aaron Volkening from Flickr. The above photo gives an example of a stormwater detention area.
The Town of Norwood has been awarded a $432,000 grant from the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Grant program to apply to a new stormwater detention basin, announced General Manager Tony Mazzucco in a press release on September 7, 2023. The new stormwater detention basin is intended to help reduce flooding. It must be completed before additional stormwater infrastructure can be implemented in Norwood Center and parts of Meadow Brook Watershed.
The MVP grant program helps municipalities proactively address climate change impacts such as extreme weather, rising sea level, flooding, and severe heat. It funds projects such as retrofitting and adapting infrastructure, vulnerability assessments, design and engineering studies, stormwater upgrades, drought mitigation, energy resilience, wetland restoration and more.
Along with reducing flooding, the new Norwood stormwater detention basin project is expected to also provide accessible walking trails, a pollinator habitat, and additional daylighting for Meadow Brook to flow above ground.
"This is a long desired and necessary project and we are incredibly thankful to the Driscoll-Healey Administration and the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program that we are once again receiving this grant funding," said General Manager Mazzucco.
On June 28, 2020, the Town of Norwood experienced rainfall of about 5.75 inches in 90 minutes, causing the basement and ground levels of Norwood Hospital to flood. The flood severely impacted mechanical and electrical systems and destroyed or damaged medical equipment, floors, walls, ceilings, fixtures and more at the hospital.
Following the flood, in a Cease-and-Desist Order, the town ordered that all operations at the hospital site cease. On November 2, 2020, Norwood Hospital opened its outpatient COVID-19 Testing Center for appointment-only community testing. Prior to that, the hospital had opened a physical and occupational program, Norwood Performance Therapy, on Route 1 in Norwood.
In June 2022, construction work began on a new Norwood Hospital and the old structure was demolished.
