The Center District Sewer Expansion Project, or CDSE Project, was conceived in 1997 in response to the many failing septic systems occurring in the center of the Town of Lancaster. The Commission started planning and designing the project with their consultant, Earth Tech, along with input from the members of the District. The end result, the CDSE Project, is one of the largest capital improvement projects in the LSDC's history. The project will expand the sewered area of the District by more than 30%. It will also allow eliminate many serious potential health risks by removing antiquated septic systems in the environmentally sensitive watershed of the Nashua River.

The first step in the project was to expand the boundaries of the District to include the center portion of town. This is a three step process. First the voters in the expansion area had to approve the expansion by signing a majority petition. Then the District had to vote to accept the new portion into the District. The Commission then had to forward the vote to the Massachusetts Legislature for ratification and to amend the enabling legislation for the District. Although this process may seem complicated and burdensome it is dictated by state law.

The project was then planned and designed for the next two years. After a great deal of negotiations and public input the LSDC and the Town of Lancaster Board of Selectmen agreed to a finance plan for the project. The Lancaster Board of Selectmen were asked to participate in the project costs because of the great deal of Town owned properties that will benefit from the project. The Town and the LSDC ultimately agreed to the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that set up the framework for the management and financing of the project. The town agreed to contribute $1.4 Million to the project while the LSDC contributed the remaining costs, now $5.2 Million. The terms of the MOU were ratified by the voters of the Town of Lancaster at a special Town meeting and by the voters of the Lancaster Sewer District at a special District meeting.

In August of 2000 the project was bid and was won by FED CORP of Dedham Massachusetts. FED CORP is an experienced firm specializing in sewer construction. They have most recently completed construction of a job in West Boylston for the Metropolitan District Commission. The Contract was awarded for $3.2 Million with a scheduled completion date of November 2001. The project was amended in 2001 to include Harvard Road, a portion of Neck Road and a portion of Route 117 . The project was completed on time and under budget in November of 2002.

Earth Tech, the Commission's consulting engineer, designed and is inspecting the project under the supervision of the LSDC. Earth Tech most recently worked in the District several years ago as the project engineer for the old common road expansion project completed the Department of Capital Asset Management.