HOOKSETT – Hooksett’s future development may be facing an unexpected roadblock: its sewer system. At the Hooksett Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting on Feb.19, Hooksett Sewer Superintendent Kenneth Conaty informed town officials that the sewer infrastructure in the Hooksett Village area has reached its capacity. This poses a significant challenge for four large-scale developments that were expected to bring hundreds of new residential units to town.
The Veterans Drive pump station, located next to the Lilac Pedestrian Bridge, is currently the only sewer pump station serving Hooksett Village. It handles wastewater from the Pinnacle neighborhood on the opposite side of the Merrimack River (Route 3A), extending north to the Bow town line and east to the Allenstown border. With the current infrastructure, the station is unable to accommodate additional large-scale developments, creating a major bottleneck in town planning efforts.
Among the projects now facing delays due to sewer capacity issues is Brady Sullivan’s proposed mixed-use development at the former Cigna property on College Park Drive and Hooksett Road. Originally planned to include 72 apartment units in a conversion of an office building, the sewer limitations mean the developer would only be able to move forward with 24 units under the current system. Another project, the final phase of University Commons, which includes townhomes behind the newly built gas station near Mount Saint Mary’s Condos, is also impacted.
Perhaps the most significant development affected is The Villages at Heads Pond, a massive residential project owned by Manchester Sand & Gravel. The project, encompassing 1,500 acres from the Allenstown line to the back of the Granite Hill area, was expected to bring substantial housing options to Hooksett. However, under current sewer constraints, Manchester Sand & Gravel can only receive 50 sewer connections, limiting them to just 50 housing units, whether townhomes or single-family homes. A fourth affected project is a proposed mixed-use development on the 40-acre Otterson property, located between the Carriage Hill neighborhood on Post Road and LaValley’s Farm Stand on Hooksett Road.
Despite concerns about the sewer system’s capacity, Conaty clarified that the issue is not with the town’s wastewater treatment plant but rather with the sewer pipes themselves, which are too small to accommodate additional development.
“We need to correct these situations before we get any further down the road,” Conaty said during the meeting. He acknowledged that without a solution, no additional developments could move forward.
One potential fix under consideration is constructing a new gravity-fed pipeline that would direct wastewater from the Carriage Hill neighborhood and The Villages at Heads Pond directly to the town’s main wastewater treatment plant on Egawes Drive, bypassing the overburdened Veterans Drive pump station. While this could relieve some of the pressure, no firm plans have been finalized.
Conaty also noted that discussions are ongoing and that he is actively working on solutions.
“I need to start reaching out to some people and getting answers to some other things,” he said. “Until that happens, nobody can have capacity.”
He remained tight-lipped on additional details, stating that some options are still being evaluated.
With demand for housing in Hooksett continuing to rise, the sewer capacity issue has emerged as a significant challenge for town officials, developers, and residents alike. Until a long-term infrastructure solution is in place, these major projects will remain in limbo.
For more information on the sewer capacity situation and how it affects current and future development in Hooksett, residents and developers are encouraged to contact the Hooksett Wastewater Department. Superintendent Kenneth Conaty can be reached at 603-485-7000 or by email at kconaty@hooksettsewer.com.
