Mass. commends public water systems for excellent service

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) awarded commendations to 39 public water systems for noteworthy public service during 2021.

The criteria MassDEP used include excellent water service to the public, no violations or non-compliance issues, and efforts that support public water supply services, such as source-water protection, water quality, and conservation.

“Public water systems across the Commonwealth do a great job ensuring there is access to safe, healthy drinking water but, each year, there are some systems that stand out and deserve special recognition,” said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg.

MassDEP works with drinking water utilities to make sure that the water delivered to consumers meets all federal and state standards and is clean and abundant.

For more than 35 years, MassDEP has recognized and awarded certain exemplary systems for their work during the previous calendar year.

This year’s public ceremony was held at the Devens Common Center in Devens.

2022 Public Water System Award Recipients and Honorable Mentions

Water Conservation:

The following systems met the compliance standards of 65 residential gallons per-capita per-day of water use, along with the 10 percent unaccounted-for water usage system-wide (leaks/flushing) for the most-recent applicable year, and implemented the minimum, mandatory water use restrictions in 2021. All have websites showing conservation-related information and while not required, all used less water than the previous year.

Acton Water Supply District
Douglas Water Department
Franklin Water Department

Central Region

Recognition Award:

Sturbridge Water Department

The Sturbridge Water Department contracts out its water supply operation to Veolia North America. The town and Veolia work together to treat the water and maintain distribution in a top-notch effort overseeing the operation’s wells, treatment plants, storage tanks, and booster stations, as well as water quality monitoring and compliance. The maintenance of the water distribution system is handled jointly by Veolia and the Sturbridge Public Works Department, where the town supplies equipment, Veolia supplies parts, and both provide labor.

Distinguished Operator Award:

Barry Smith – Town of Medway

Barry Smith is the Medway Water and Sewer Superintendent. Barry has established procedures to ensure the system operates in compliance and in a very methodical way. Barry’s efforts reduced unaccounted-for-water from 25.9 percent to 5.6 percent. Barry is very proactive and has proceeded with replacement wells, treatment plants, and even oversees the design engineers’ plans to ensure operator safety is accounted for in the design and any future expansion if necessary.

Northeast Region

Recognition Award:

Salisbury Water Department

Salisbury Water Department is a large groundwater system whose population balloons from just over 9,000 in the winter to 20,000 in the summer. Governor Baker authorized Salisbury to take control of the Ring’s Island Water District, improving capacity to Ring’s Island by upgrading the aging 1938 Bridge Road water main that feeds the Island and is taking over direct operation and maintenance of the system. Salisbury shows leadership by proactively communicating with MassDEP to ensure a smooth transition that maintains all regulatory requirements and continues to improve upon its system capacity and resiliency to meet its users’ needs now and well into the future.

Distinguished Operator Award:

Paul Colby – Town of Ipswich

Paul Colby serves as the operator for multiple non-community public water systems in the Northeast Region and consistently maintains accurate and timely reporting requirements while also being exceptionally responsive to various PWS needs. Paul has managed the assessments required and repairs to a well, which had persistent total coliform issues. Paul has also been instrumental in response actions because of the new PFAS regulations, which can provide unique treatment challenges to small systems. In addition to ensuring compliance with required PFAS public education and notification, Paul ensures that the multiple PFAS-impacted PWSs under his guidance meet all additional deadlines. Paul’s attention to details and responsiveness to both PWSs and MassDEP makes him the ideal choice for a regional operator award.

Southeast Region

Recognition Award:

Foxborough Water Department

The Foxborough system operators are hard-working and enthusiastic professionals who are dedicated to the current and future ability of the system to provide a safe, fit, and pure supply of drinking water to their customers. Their team has undertaken an impressive long-term effort to nearly re-build their sources and treatment infrastructure completely.

Distinguished Operator Award:

Linda Correia – City of Fall River

After many years as a Grade 4T operator for the City of Fall River and then the Inima-Aquaria desalination plant in Dighton, Linda “retired” in 2021 and is now operating approximately 40 small public water systems. The small systems benefit greatly from Linda’s professional experience running much larger surface water systems. Linda can be counted on for maintaining compliance with water quality reporting requirements and sage advice for operating water systems.

Western Region

Recognition Award:

Woolman Hill – Deerfield

This public water system sought compliance with drinking water requirements when undertaking an expansion. It now has a fully compliant source not needing treatment. This is a public health and safety improvement over prior conditions with a noncompliant source, which had bacteria issues requiring treatment.

Distinguished Operator Award:

Linda Tims – Town of Sheffield

Linda is an operator for several public water systems as a contract operator with RH White. She has conscientiously addressed problems when they occur, taking the required actions and communicating with MassDEP about the risks presented, the options the PWS has, and reporting on corrective actions taken. She is a professional with attention to public health and safety.