Table of Contents

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All The Way From Quabbin, To All of Us

Great Water From Forest To Faucet

What We All Need To Know About Lead

What We All Can Do To Reduce Lead

Information We All Need

Community Updates for 2022

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All The Way From Quabbin, To All Of Us

Massachusetts experienced a significant drought during 2022, with about 30 percent less precipitation than normal. Thanks to our customer’s wise use of water during the drought and the long-term reduction in water use, MWRA’s reservoirs stayed well within normal operating range throughout the year, and no mandatory restrictions were needed. This annual water quality report illustrates MWRA’s ongoing efforts to provide you with safe water under all conditions.

MWRA supplies about 7 million gallons of high quality water each day to the three Chicopee Valley Aqueduct (CVA) communities: Chicopee, Wilbraham, and the South Hadley Fire District#1 (FD#1).

MWRA works with your community, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and state and federal regulators to continuously monitor your drinking water — from the Quabbin Reservoir surrounded by forests and wetlands, through treatment and miles of pipelines, to your drinking water faucet.

The Quabbin is the primary source for all the water supplied to the CVA communities. The Ware River provides additional water when needed. The Quabbin watershed — the area that drains water to the reservoir — is naturally protected, and is an important first step in providing you high quality water. More than 85% of the watershed is covered with forests and wetlands, which filter the rain and snow that enter the streams that flow to the reservoir. This water comes in contact with soil, rock, plants, and other material as it follows its natural path to the reservoir. This process helps to clean the water, but it also can dissolve and carry very small amounts of material into the reservoir. Minerals and rock do not typically cause problems in the water. Water can also transport contaminants, including bacteria, viruses or other potential pathogens, from human and animal activity, that can cause illness. Testing results show few contaminants are found in the reservoir water. The few that are detected are in very small amounts that are well below EPA’s standards.

MWRA and DCR maintain a nationally recognized watershed protection program. The Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Source Water Assessment report for the Quabbin commended DCR and MWRA for our source water protection plans. The report states that our “watershed protection programs are very successful and greatly reduce the actual risk of contamination.” MWRA and DCR follow the report recommendations to maintain the pristine watershed areas. For more information on our source water, go to: www.mwra.com/sourcewater.html.

 

Water: Tested From The Source…
MWRA analyzes, treats and protects the quality of your water from its source to your home or business. A key, initial test for reservoir water quality is turbidity, or cloudiness. Turbidity refers to the amount of suspended particles in the water that can interfere with water disinfection. All water must be below 5 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units), and water can only be above 1 NTU if it does not interfere with effective disinfection. In 2022, typical levels in the Quabbin Reservoir were 0.24 NTU, with the highest level of turbidity at 0.78 NTU, well below the standard. MWRA also tests water for potential disease causing organisms, including fecal coliform bacteria, and parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium that can enter the water from animal or human waste. All 2022 test results for the reservoir water were well within state and federal testing and treatment standards.

Water Quality After Treatment 2022

Compound	Units	(MCL) Highest Level Allowed	Detected Level-Average	Range of Detections	Ideal Goal (MCLG)	Violation	How It Gets in the Water
Barium	ppm	2	0.006	0.006 - 0.006	2	No	Common mineral in nature
Nitrate	ppm	10	0.015	ND - 0.015	10	No	Atmospheric deposition

Water Quality in Community Systems

Local Tests for 2021	Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in ppb MCL = 80 ppb (Avg)		Halocetic Acids (HAA5) in ppb MCL = 60 ppb (Avg)		Chlorine in ppm MRDL = 4 ppm (Avg) MRDLG = 4 ppm		Sodium in ppm
	Annual Average	Range	Annual Average	Range	Annual Average	Range	Highest Level
Chicopee	54.9	34.3 - 69.7	44.6	23.5 - 65.5	0.58	0.14 - 0.98	14.2
South Hadley FD #1	71.7	38.9 - 107	26.1	16.5 - 40.2	0.43	0.01 - 1.05	8.0
Wilbraham	60.1	37.1 - 81.9	22.8	17.9 - 33.1	0.36	0.20 - 1.04	7.9
KEY: MCL=Maximum Contaminant Level. The highest level of a contaminant allowed in water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available technology. MCLG=Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. ^The maximum result is reported for nitrate, not the average. MRDL=Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level. The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. MRDLG=Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal. The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected health risk. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination. TTHMs and HAA5 are byproducts of disinfection. ppm=parts per million. ppb=parts per billion.

Great Water From Forest To Faucet

MWRA and your community analyze, treat and protect the quality of your water from its source in the Quabbin Reservoir to your home or business. MWRA’s laboratories conduct hundreds of thousands of tests on the water your community receives from MWRA every year, for over 120 potential contaminants. All results were well below EPA’s standards in 2022.

MWRA’s Brutsch Water Treatment Facility provides state of the art treatment and monitoring of your water. Well trained and licensed operators add measured doses of treatment chemicals to improve the quality of your water. Additional water treatment includes:

• Ultraviolet light (UV), a natural, but more powerful form of natural disinfection than sunlight, renders pathogens non-infectious.
• Chrlorine protects the water as it travels through miles of pipelines to your home.
• Each community treats the water to reduce the leaching of lead from home plumbing.
• Chicopee performs additional booster disinfection at the point where the local pipes take water from the MWRA aqueduct.

Your drinking water is then tested again to ensure the effectiveness of these treatments.

Your Community Tests Your Waters
Water conditions can change within your town’s distribution system. Each community tests for contaminants that can vary within community pipes. MWRA also works with the three CVA communities to test water samples in local piping each week for total coliform and E. coli bacteria.

Total coliform bacteria can come from the intestines of warm-blooded animals, or can also be found in soil, plants or other places. Most of the time these bacteria are not harmful; however, their presence in water can indicate that harmful bacteria from fecal waste may be there as well. If total coliform is detected in more than 5% of samples in a month, the water system is required to investigate the possible source and fix any identified problems. If a water sample does test positive, we run more specific tests for E. coli, which is a bacteria found in human and animal fecal waste and may cause illness. If your community was required to do an investigation, or found E. coli, it will be in the local information from your community on pages 6-7. No E. coli was found in any CVA community water in 2022.

Information on PFAS Testing
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoralkyl substances, have been used since the 1950s for many products — stains, water proofing, firefighting equipment and other applications. These chemicals are an environmental concern, and have been linked to significant health risks.

In 2020, the MassDEP published a drinking water standard for PFAS based on six PFAS compounds, or PFAS6. Tests of MWRA water in our reservoirs showed only trace amounts of these compounds, well below the new State maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 20 parts per trillion. For more information on PFAS, go to: www.mwra.com.

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What We All Need To Know About Lead

Preventing lead exposure is particularly important if a pregnant woman or a child lives in your home or apartment. Lead can also impact the health of your entire family. While lead poisoning frequently comes from exposure to lead paint dust or chips, lead in drinking water can also contribute to chronic, total lead exposure. Learn about the health impacts of lead, and how to reduce exposure to this toxic metal that could be in your drinking water, on the following pages. Lead affects young children, and may cause damage to the brain, slow growth and development, and learning and behavior problems. Preventing lead exposure is particularly important if a pregnant woman or a child lives in your home or apartment. Lead can also impact the health of your entire family. While lead poisoning frequently comes from exposure to lead paint dust or chips, lead in drinking water can also contribute to chronic, total lead exposure.

How Lead Can Enter Your Water

Lead can enter your tap water from your service line (the line that connects your home to the water main) if it is made of lead, lead solder used in plumbing, or from some older faucets. Lead in your home plumbing or service line can contribute to elevated lead levels in the water you drink. MWRA’s water is lead-free when it leaves our reservoirs. Distribution pipes that carry the water to your community are made mostly of iron and steel, and do not add lead to the water.

Corrosion, or wearing away of lead-based materials can add lead to tap water, especially if water sits for a long time in the pipes before it is used. Each CVA community adjusts the water chemistry to reduce corrosion. See what your community does to reduce corrosion on page 7, and the results in the table below.

Important Lead Information From EPA
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water comes primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. MWRA is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. If your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available  from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

CVA Communities Meet Lead Standard
Under EPA and DEP rules, your local water department is required to test tap water in homes likely to be at risk for high lead levels, such as homes with lead solder, so the results do not reflect lead levels in every home. The EPA Lead and Copper rule requires that 9 out of 10 homes tested (90%) must have lead levels below the Action Level of 15 parts per billion (ppb). This testing process can provide information on whether lead is corroding and mixing with the drinking water. It also provides communities and you with information on how to reduce lead in your drinking water. All three of the CVA communities meet the lead Action Level.

 

Local Tests for Lead and Copper

	Lead in ppb AL = 15 ppb MCLG = 0		Copper in ppb AL = 1300 ppb MCLG = 0
	# Samples over AL	90% Value	# Samples over AL	90% Value
Chicopee*	0	1.4	0	127
South Hadley FD #1	3	9.0	0	50
Wilbraham*	0	8.23	0	84.9
AL = Action Level - The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. ppb = parts per billion *Sampled in 2021

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What We All Can Do To Reduce Lead

Lead Service Lines
A service line connects your home or building to the water main in the street. If yours is made of lead, it can be the main source of lead in your tap water. Older galvanized iron pipes with lead connectors (“goosenecks”) can also release lead. Lead service lines should be removed entirely to reduce lead in your drinking water.

Replacing Lead Service Lines
Your local water department can help find out if you have a lead service line, and provide help in replacing it. In some cases, an onsite check is necessary to determine the specific piping to your building.

You can also see if your service line is made of lead by scratching the pipe near your water meter with a key or other metal object. Lead pipes will show a dull grey color, while copper pipes will not. For an online how-to guide, go to www.epa.gov/pyt.

MWRA Funding to Replace Lead Service Lines
MWRA and its Advisory Board offer zero-interest loans to customer communities for full lead service line replacement projects. Each MWRA community can develop its own local plan, and many communities have already taken steps to remove lead service lines. Since 2016 MWRA has provided $34 million to 14 communities to fully replace lead service lines. To find out more, contact your local water department.

Reduce Your Exposure to Lead

Remove Lead Piping

• Find out if you have a lead service line or lead components in your plumbing. Learn about options for removal of this piping from your local water department.

Other Measures For Lead Reduction

• Any time water has not been used for more than 6 hours, run the faucet used for drinking water or cooking until after the water becomes cold.
• Let water run before using it—fresh water is better than stale. To save water, fill a pitcher with fresh water and place it in the refrigerator for future use.
• Never use hot water from the faucet for drinking or cooking, especially when making baby formula or other food for infants or young children.
• Remove loose lead solder and debris. Every few months, remove the aerator from each faucet and flush the pipes for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Be careful of places where you may find lead in or near your home. Paint, soil, dust and pottery may contain lead. Call the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at 1-800-532-9571 or 1-800-424-LEAD for information on lead and health impacts.

How to Test Your Drinking Water
If you are concerned about lead piping in your home, contact your local water department about testing for lead in your drinking water. MWRA also maintains a list of certified laboratories and sampling instructions on our website at www.mwra.com. You may also call MWRA at 617-242-5323.

Lead Testing in Schools
Children can consume most of their drinking water at school or daycare. The plumbing inside some schools and childcare facilities can contain lead and contribute to lead exposure. MWRA, in coordination with DEP, provides no-cost lab analysis and technical assistance for schools and day care centers in MWRA communities. This service has been offered since 2016, and nearly all MWRA communities have participated. To date, more than 39,000 tests have been completed in more than 530 schools. Results are available on the MassDEP website at: www.mass.gov/dep (search for “lead in schools”). You may also contact your local school or water department for results.

 

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Information We All Need

Important Research for New Regulations
MWRA works with EPA and health research organizations to help define new national drinking water standards by collecting data on water contaminants that are not yet regulated. Very few of these potential contaminants are found in MWRA water due to our source water protection efforts. Information on this testing, as well as data on PFAS, disinfection by-products, Giardia and Cryptosporidium, and other contaminants can be found at www.mwra.com.

Important Health Information: Drinking Water and People with Weakened Immune Systems
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants, can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

EPA Information on Bottled Water and Tap Water

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or MWRA. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Massachusetts DEP and the EPA prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

Funding for System Rehabilitation
MWRA provides zero-interest loans to communities for pipeline rehabilitation and other water quality improvements. During 2022, we loaned $29 million in loans to 15 communities for pipeline projects.

MWRA Coliform Assessment
Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, waterborne pathogens may be present or that a potential pathway exists through which contamination may enter the drinking water distribution system. In July 2022, we found coliforms at one sample tap indicating the need to look for potential problems in water treatment or distribution. When this occurs, we are required to take additional samples and to conduct an assessment to identify and correct problems found during the assessment. No positive samples were identified in the follow up samples at community entry locations. We completed the level 1 assessment and submitted it to MassDEP, and identified potential issues with the sampling tap. We made changes to the sampling tap and modified our sampling procedures to reduce the risk of stagnant water affecting the results.

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Community Updates for 2022

 

 

Chicopee Water Department
PWS #1061000

The Chicopee Public Water System has been a member of the MWRA since the completion of the Chicopee Valley Aqueduct in 1950. We are grateful to receive such high quality source water from Quabbin Reservoir.

Chicopee made various water system upgrades and additions in 2022. Approximately 2100 feet of 12” ductile iron pipe, 30 domestic water services, and 7 new fire hydrants have been installed on Columba Street. The Columba Project also added 10 new hydrants and 5 fire sprinkler lines, and 21 new domestic services were installed throughout the city. These system upgrades have improved the flow capacity for all residences and fire protection needs in the project areas, as well as improved redundancy in the system by eliminating aging infrastructure. Chicopee has continued its residential and commercial meter modernization program. During 2022 the water department repaired 26 leaking services and 25 large water main breaks. The Chicopee Water Department has worked through supply chain issues and staffing shortages in order to continue to deliver clean and safe drinking water of the highest quality to our residents.

Chicopee has a back flow and cross connection program that continues to enforce the DEP mandates to prevent contamination to the water system due to backpressure or backsiphonage. We have surveyed commercial, industrial, municipal, and institutional facilities throughout the city to identify and eliminate potential cross connections. When a possible cross connection is found or new plumbing is installed and where needed, devices such as a double check or “RPZ” (reduced pressure zone) valves are installed to eliminate the hazard. These devices are tested once or twice a year by Chicopee Water Department state certified testers. Among the 1100 testable back flow devices, 4 devices failed and were repaired by the owners within 14 days. The Cross Connection Department continues to survey new and old facilities as recommended by DEP. Public education flyers are distributed in the water bill annually. If you have any questions, please contact the Cross Connection Department at 413-594-1870.

For more information on your drinking water, or to find out about public meetings, please go to our website at: www.chicopeema.gov or call us at (413) 594-3420.

South Hadley Fire District #1
PWS #1275000

Fire District No. 1 has been fortunate to be one of the original communities to join the MWRA system back in 1951. We purchase 100% of our water from the MWRA. Since connecting to the system, we have valued our relationship along with the many resources the MWRA has to offer us as well. Some examples of those resources are improvements on the CVA system as well as various water testing services and technical assistance with the ever-changing drinking water standards.

Our water is treated for bacteria using both ultraviolet light and sodium hypochlorite for primary disinfection at the Brutsch Water Treatment Facility managed by the MWRA in Ware. Corrosion control and emergency chlorination is done at our treatment facility located on Fuller St. in Ludlow where sodium silicate is added for corrosion control. In addition, we utilize booster chlorination at our Alvord St. water tank seasonally between June and November. Corrosion control is necessary in order to comply with the federally mandated Lead and Copper Rule.

Our last lead and copper sampling round occurred in June of 2022. We sampled 30 residential homes and 2 schools. The results are shown on page 4. Our next sampling round will be in June of 2025. Based on our records, we have not found any evidence of lead or galvanized service lines in our system.

We sampled for asbestos at two approved locations within our distribution system. Both samples were well below the requirements. Our next sampling date will be 2031.

	MCL	MCLG	Detected	Violation
Asbestos (MFL)	7	0	ND-0.76	No
1MFL=Million Fiber/Liter

While we met the disinfection by-products regulatory limits for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) this year, we had an Operation Exceedance Level (OEL) during our Quarter 3 sampling round. DEP was notified immediately and we carried out a Level 1 Assessment to determine the cause. We believe the exceedance was a result of a mechanical failure in our blow off valve. We repaired the valve, and the assessment was submitted to MassDEP.

We used approximately 391 million gallons of water in 2022. We did not need to impose any water restrictions despite the prolonged hot, dry summer we experienced. We continue to update our water mains with our replacement program. Water main replacements are prioritized by leak history, pipe type and the annual street paving list provided by the Department of Public Works. This collaboration results in reduced costs and extended pavement integrity. This program will continue as funding and time permit. Within our water main replacement program, we replaced 1450 ft. of 8” pipe on School St. In addition, through a MassWorks Grant the Town of South Hadley received, we replaced 2100 ft. of 10” pipe. This project could not have been possible without the efforts of many departments within the town for which we are grateful. All service connections and hydrants on both streets will be replaced as well. The new mains will provide reliability and improved fire protection.

We feel strongly that the Water Department – Fire District No.1 has been operated very efficiently by providing the rate payers with what they expect from a municipal department at the lowest possible cost. Please take a moment to view our website with historical and frequently updated information about our Department, including Board meeting agendas, at the following address www.shdistrict1.org. You can also call our office at 413-532-0666 or speak to Jeff Cyr, Water
Superintendent at 413-533-4576.

Wilbraham
PWS #133900

The Corrosion Control Facility on Miller Street in Ludlow continues to operate without issue while injecting Sodium Silicate into the drinking water in compliance with the federally mandated Lead and Copper Rule. Lead and copper sampling was conducted in 2021 and the results are shown on page 4. Next sampling will be performed during the summer of 2024.

Within the last year, the McIntosh Pump Station was refurbished with four new variable speed Grudfos water pumps with a new control panel. These new pumps will ensure adequate fire protection and pressure to the residents of McIntosh Drive & Apple Hill Road. At the 2.1 million gallon storage tank on Bartlett Avenue the Water Department is in the process of moving the communication instruments from an underground confined space pit to an above ground, temperature controlled cabinet. Daily maintenance was performed at our Corrosion Control Facility in Ludlow, including the Pressure Reducing Valve being serviced and cleaned for adequate operation and flow/pressure control.

Our crew repaired several service leaks within the distribution system and numerous new construction homes were built with new service connections. The Water Department has continued efforts to install new water meters throughout the system to ensure accurate consumption of each household and business along with installing remote electronic readers. The water usage for 2022 was 440,884,000 gallons. This represents a 9.6% increase from 2021. Testing for asbestos in 2022 showed no asbestos fibers were detected in Wilbraham’s water.

If you would like to learn more about the Wilbraham Water distribution system, or for more information and for the schedule of our monthly Water Commissioners meeting, please visit our website at: www.wilbraham-ma.gov.

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Updated June 9, 2023