Massachusetts Water Resources Authority 2003 Report on your Drinking Water - a message from your local water department

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD Water and Sewer Commission Public Water Supply # 3168000 A Public Information Statement From F. Carlton Siegel, Chairman of the Marblehead Water and Sewer Commission

July 2004 Dear Marblehead Water Customer: The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) and Marblehead Water and Sewer Commission have prepared this 2003 Drinking Water Report in compliance with federal drinking water regulations. This brochure contains information on MWRA’s source water reservoirs, water system, and treatment improvements, as well as the results of water tests. Go back to MWRA main report In Marblehead, an elected five-member commission oversees all water, sewer, and storm drain functions. My fellow commissioners are Emerson Brown, Wilbur Bassett, Thomas Carroll, and Bradford Freeman. Each of us is dedicated to customer service and water quality. A skilled staff of 23 handles the day-to-day operations, as well as billing and permits for the water, sewer and storm drainage. After receiving drinking water from MWRA, the Town of Marblehead is responsible for delivering it to our customers. Water travels through a series of trunk and smaller distribution pipelines to individual households and businesses. During high use periods, adequate pressure is maintained by the Loring Avenue and Tedesco Street booster pump stations. Marblehead also operates the Village Street and Burke’s Hill water storage tanks, ensuring sufficient water to meet fire flow and peak usage demand. Other important programs which help to maintain water quality include annual pipeline flushing, routine leak detection inspections, and a regular testing program to check for any signs of contamination. We must continually maintain Marblehead’s 100 plus miles of pipeline, booster pumping stations, and water tanks to ensure the best water service possible. Under the Commission’s leadership, a capital program was developed to prioritize and pace water system improvements that build upon system improvements being made by MWRA. The Commission has continued to improve the system. Recent improvements have included the following items: Built booster pump station Loring Avenue in 1994 to provide sufficient water in high demand periods and ensure redundancy for pumping capacity. Modernized the Tedesco Street booster pump station in 1997 to safeguard water pressure for high demand periods. Painted the Village Street water storage tank inside and out in 1998 to extend the useful life of this facility for another 20-25 years. Completely repainted the Burke’s Hill water storage tank in 2001, to help ensure water quality. Continued replacement and rehabilitation of water pipelines to enhance quality of water delivered by the MWRA and to address fire issues. The trunk lines, which serve as the spine for our system, have been replaced or rehabilitated. Pipeline improvements now are focused on the relatively smaller distribution lines in approximate order of need. In 2003, the Commission completed cleaning and lining pipes in the Elm, High, Mechanic, Harris, Russell and Cowell St. areas. In 2003 the Burkes’s Hill storage tank had new valves and piping equipment installed. In 2004 the Commission will install a new water line in Ocean Avenue from Atlantic Avenue to Harbor Avenue. We will also complete our evaluation of new radio read water meters and commence their installation. The Commission and its staff work to keep its customers informed of maintenance or construction projects whenever possible. For planned system improvements, abutters to projects are contacted and public meetings are held. The Commission uses the local media to notify residents of pipeline flushing activities. It is our goal to respond as quickly and completely as possible to any customer concerns, questions, or complaints. The Marblehead Water and Sewer Commission is committed to bringing you the best drinking water possible. We hope that you will find the Annual Water Quality Report to Consumers interesting and educational. Please feel free to contact our Superintendent Dana E. Snow at (781) 631-0102 with any questions or concerns you may have. Sincerely, F. Carlton Siegel Chairman