Marlborough panel pursues sewer-heat recovery grant

Climate Resiliency Committee · Meeting of July 21, 2026

Marlborough's Climate Resiliency Committee weighed a $15,000 state grant to study capturing heat from a sewer main to warm Countryside Village, an affordable-housing complex, but held off on a formal commitment. Consultants Audrey and Karen of Black Swan Labs said the MassDEP program offers up to $100,000 for design and $750,000 for construction from a $5 million statewide pool, and called it "a rare opportunity to have almost a million dollars of state aid." DPW Commissioner Ted Scott backed moving ahead with the feasibility study, while Marlborough's mayor and City Council president urged caution, with the mayor saying, "My concern is my job is to protect the city." Councilor Trey Ficello said he was "worried that we're a little, a lot of moving parts here." A councilor's motion formalizing the grant-application process was seconded, then withdrawn after the chair clarified the full council does not pre-approve grant submissions.

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Source: the Climate Resiliency Committee meeting of July 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.