East Bridgewater water at a 'critical point'
By Marcy Murphy, Enterprise correspondent

EAST BRIDGEWATER — Department of Public Works Director John Haines told selectmen Tuesday the town is “facing a critical point” with the municipal water system.

Haines referred to a two-year water study by the engineering firm Coler and Colantonio, which shows there are “numerous significant deficiencies” with the town water system, ranging from water rates and quality, to the need to replace mains for increased “fire flow.”

The plan to correct the town's water problems would cost about $14 million and is part of the reason town officials are trying to establish a stabilization fund for capital needs projects that would be funded in part by a Proposition 2 1/2 override of $1.25 million to be voted on at a Feb. 26 town meeting.

The project to correct the water distribution and quality problems includes establishing two water filtration plants to remove iron and manganese, which have caused some residents to experience brown water.

One plant would be in the area of Crescent Street and the other on East Street.

Another part of the plan is the replacement of 32,000 feet of water mains. Haines said that 32,000 feet is only 6 miles of water mains, and the town has about 100 miles of water mains.

Haines said some of the 6-inch water mains in town are almost 100 years old and “may only have the capacity to carry 2 1/2 inches of water.”

He said establishing the areas for water main replacement was based on priority, and that “priority one” is Belmont, Pleasant and Summer streets. The second area of high priority is part of Crescent and Bedford streets.

Over the years, the Fire Department has had problems putting out fires due to the capacity of some water mains.

Fire Chief Ryon Pratt also attended Tuesday's meeting, stressing the importance of educating the public on the water plan, as there are residents who are not aware of the town's problems and may not approve spending $14 million.

In the interest of safety, Pratt said, “This is huge. This is money we have to spend.” Pratt said he has seen fires “that don't go the way you want them to.”

Selectwoman Theresa McNulty agreed the project is necessary for safety purposes.

“Pressure and fire flow have to be considered top priority,” she said.

The town has already received approval from the state for the water project through the state revolving fund program. If the project were to be approved, Haines said, construction on the plants could begin over the summer and would take about 370 days to complete.

Haines is setting up a meeting for Feb. 13 to inform residents and town departments about the study and the project.

“We're facing a critical point in our water system and we cannot ignore it,” he said.

Selectman David Walsh has requested Haines attend next Monday's selectmen's meeting to discuss the water rates, which support the Water Department's operational budget.