Description of Services

The Water Department is responsible for providing a safe, clean, reliable potable water supply via the Town Water system.  Several wells, pumps and storage tanks provide Town Water to subscribers.  The Water Department also provides critical fire protection to the entire town, in the form of hundreds of fire hydrants.

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Contact Information

Additional Information

The Distribution System - Where does your water come from?

Where Does My Drinking Water Come From?

As required by state and federal regulations the critical protection area (referred to as Zone 1) surrounding each source is owned and/or under the control of the Water Department. The recharge area of each source (referred to as Zone II) and the Zone I are closely monitored to restrict or prohibit any construction or activity that would pose a threat of contamination to the public water supply. In 1998 the Ground Water Protection District By-Law was created to protect each of our ground water sources. 

Source Name	DEP Source ID#	Source Type	Location of Source
Main Street Well	2299000-01G	Groundwater	Main Street (West side of town)
Cross Street Well	2299000-02G	Groundwater	Off Cross Street
Harbor Trace Well	2299000-03G	Groundwater	Harbor Trace Road
Witch’s Brook Well 1	2299000-04G	Groundwater	Ash Street
Witch’s Brook Well 2	2299000-05G	Groundwater	Ash Street

Two Storage Facilities: The Highland St. Tank consisting of 1,000,000 gallons, and the Fitchburg Rd. Tank with a capacity of 500,000 Gallons.  Total Amount of Storage Capacity:  1,500,000 Gallons  Total Amount Pumped:  150,591,000 Gallons    Daily Average Pumped:  413,000 Gallons

Transmission Water Mains: There are various types of pipe within the system such as; Cast Iron, Transite, Ductile Iron, and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). The size (diameter) of pipe range between 6 inch – 16 inch.    Miles of Water Main:  50

Population Served:  5,171   No. of Service Connections:  1,478

No. of Fire Hydrants:  310

The Staff

Superintendent:  Paul Rafuse

Water Technicians:  Tech I, Mike MacEachern

                                Tech II, Jim Blanchard

Office Staff:  Office Administrator, Jean Dinon

                     Collector/Clerk, Brenda Boudreau

 

Rates & Fees - follow this link for 2009 Schedule of Rates and Fees

 

Introduction

The Townsend Water Department is pleased to provide you with our annual water quality report for the time period between January 1 – December 31, 2008. This report is a summary of the quality of water we provided to approximately 5,100 customers and how we continue to meet or exceed all state and federal water quality standards. Included in this report is a listing of results from numerous water quality tests as well as an explanation of where your water comes from and tips on how to interpret the data. As part of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) it is required that we provide you with this Water Quality Report. We are committed to providing you with this information because informed customers are our best allies. It is our ultimate goal as a water supplier to provide you with safe, high quality drinking water.  For more information about your drinking water, call the Townsend Water Department at (978-597-2212) and ask for Superintendent Paul Rafuse.

Water Treatment

Many drinking water sources in New England are naturally corrosive (i.e. they have a pH of less than 7.0), so the water they supply has a tendency to corrode and dissolve the metal piping it flows through. This not only damages pipes but can also add harmful metals, such as lead and copper, to the water. For this reason it is beneficial to add chemicals that make the water neutral or slightly alkaline.

This is done by adding any one, or a combination of several, approved chemicals. The Townsend Water Department adds a 45% solution of potassium hydroxide to its water. This adjusts the water to a non-corrosive pH. Testing throughout the water system has shown that this treatment has been effective at reducing lead and copper concentrations.

All chemicals used for corrosion control are approved for water treatment by one of the following organizations: National Sanitation Foundation (now known as NSF International), or Underwriters Laboratory (UL), both accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Chemicals also have to meet performance standards established by the American Water Works Association.

Source Protection

Public water systems supplied by ground water sources (wells) are required to own or control a protective radius around the wells or wellfields so as to prohibit or restrict any activity that could contaminate them. This protective radius, known as the Zone I, measures 100 to 400 feet, depending on the type of well and the approved yields (quantity of water withdrawn from the source) of 100,000 gallons per day (GPD) or greater. At the Main St. station, the source is a wellfield (52 2½" tubular wells manifolded together) with a 250’ Zone I radius. At the Cross St. station, the source is a single gravel-packed well with a 400’ radius. Both Zone Is are owned and controlled by the Water Department. The Main St. wellfield and the Cross St. well are located in an area of mostly residential development.

The Townsend Water Department has adopted a Ground Water Protection District By-Law in order to prohibit, restrict and control certain land uses and development in these areas. In the event of an emergency, water can be delivered through an interconnection with the Town of Pepperell.

Be Water Wise!

Always be conscious of ways you can conserve water. It will not only aid in protecting our water sources, but can also save you money. Conserving water means reducing your usage, reduced usage means lower water bills. Also conserving water can deter increased water rates due to unnecessary repairs on pumping equipment or premature replacement of equipment.

Conservation measures you can use inside your home include:

• Fix leaking faucets, pipes, toilets, etc.
• Install water saving devices in faucets, toilets, and appliances.
• Wash only full loads of laundry.
• Don’t use the toilet for trash disposal.
• Don’t let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.

Ways you can conserve outdoors include:

• Water the lawn and garden in early morning or evening.
• Use mulch around plants and shrubs.
• Use water saving nozzles.
• Make sure automatic irrigation systems are equipped with rain and soil moisture sensors.

2007 Water Quality Report    PWSID#: 2299000  Follow this link for the complete 2007 Water Quality Report (227 Kb .pdf, 5 pages)