75 YEARS OF SERVICE

 

Voluntary Water

Conservation Program

MAY— OCTOBER

 

Please avoid all outside water use between the hours of 6:00AM and 6:00PM.

 

Residents living in homes on the odd numbered sides of streets are asked to water lawns and gardens on odd

numbered days only. 

 

Residents residing on even numbered sides of streets are requested to water lawns and gardens on even numbered days.

 

Water only when necessary. 

 

Please be aware of the advance weather forecast.  If wind and rain is in the forecast make

adjustments to your watering schedule to minimize water consumption.

 

Maintain your lawn at a height of at least two (2) inches.  This practice will protect roots and retain soil moisture.

 

Install rain shutoff devices on automatic irrigation systems.

 

Water Conservation Kits available at no charge upon request.  Use water wisely! 

 

Your cooperation and participation will help us meet our increasing summer pumping demands! ! ! !

 

 

 

 

 

New Water Tank

        

         The new 1.5 MG tank on Old Stage Road has been operating on the system since January 2011 providing additional capacity and equalization storage that increases system wide reliability. The funding plan for the $3 million dollar project involves a 2% interest rate loan from the State and we qualified for ARRA stimulus funds which will provided 20% principle forgiveness. (Saving an estimated $663,000 in borrowing costs).

 

Residents Can Help Protect Sources By:

· Practicing good septic system maintenance.

· Supporting water supply protection initiatives at the next Town/District Meetings.

· Taking hazardous household chemicals to hazardous materials collection days.

· Limiting pesticide and fertilizer use, etc.

PAY MORE FOR LESS?

 

Water withdrawals in Massachusetts are regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  On Cape Cod, DEP is proposing to incorporate strict conservation conditions during the renewal process for Water Management Permits.  These conditions will regulate the amount of water that you can use on a daily basis and will lead to higher increases in your water bill. DEP is mandating water use restrictions which will be required from May-September each year regardless of pond levels or rainfall.  If these conditions are incorporated into the Water Management Permits, you will only be allowed to water outdoors two days a week-this includes, watering your landscaping and lawn, washing your cars, boats and windows.

There is no scientific data justifying the implementation of this program. The DEP hired the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to develop a groundwater model which showed that public water purveyors cape-wide withdraw approximately 5% of the water stored underground. The USGS science proves there is no need for such strict measures on Cape Cod. Public water suppliers have fixed costs that are met through water revenues.  If water usage decreases, which is the goal of this proposed plan, water rates will have to increase to meet those fixed costs.  If you don’t want to pay more for less, act now and say NO to DEP’s one-size-fits-all approach for water permitting. Don’t allow them to arbitrarily restrict your water use, but rather manage our aquifers based on sound science. For more information on this subject please go to www.bcwua.org or call Superintendent Craig Crocker. Contact your local legislators and tell them to say NO to DEP’s approach on telling you how much water you may use in any one day.

 

USE WATER WISELY!

 

BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS

SCOTT CROSBY, CHAIRMAN

PETER HANSEN

KEVIN MEDEIROS

Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs

 Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet or 

drain unless the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so.  For information on drugs that should be flushed visit the FDA’s website.  

To dispose of prescription drugs not labeled to be 

flushed, you may be able to take advantage of community drug take back programs or other programs, such as household hazardous water collection events, that collect drugs at a central location for proper disposal. Call your town government's household trash and recycling service and ask if a drug take-back program is available.

If a drug take-back or collection program is not available:

1. Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers. 

2. Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such    as cat litter or used coffee grounds. 

3. Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or into a   sealable bag.

4. Conceal or remove any personal information, including rx number, on the empty containers by covering with black marker or duct tape, or by scratching off.

5. Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, in the trash.

 

We Need to Hear From You!

              If you experience any water quality issues and/or interruption in service call us as soon as possible. If it occurs during non -office hours please log the date and time then call us when time allows. 

             

Only Water and Fire Personnel are

allowed to use hydrants

              If you witness any unauthorized use of a hydrant please write down date, time and information on the vehicle and inform our office as soon as possible.  Recently in Somerset, MA a hydro-seed company caused a town wide 48 hour water ban when a fire hydrant (which allegedly was illegally connected to) caused hydro-seed material to enter the water system. 

 

Inspect your service pipe

Please check the condition of the iron pipe entering your basement/home, particularly, the valve where pipe threads into it. If it looks corroded please call our office to make an appointment for a technician to inspect.  Please use caution when working on your plumbing and around the service pipe. Electric ground clamps speed up corrosion.

 

 

CROSS CONNECTIONS

     You as a business owner or homeowner must  protect your drinking water system and the health of your employees, customers and neighbors by preventing or protecting all cross connections on your premises.

What is a cross connection?

     A cross connection occurs whenever a potable drinking water line is directly or indirectly connected to a nonpotable piece of equipment or piping.  Examples of nonpotable equipment in your facility may include fire protection, lawn irrigation, air conditioning or cooling systems, as well as high pressure boilers.  In a factory, cross connections may also occur within process equipment such as chemical mixing tanks, plating tanks, and heat exchangers.   

How can a cross connection occur?

     Nonpotable water or chemicals used in a system or equipment can end up in the drinking water line as a result of backpressure or backsiphonage.  Backpressure occurs when the pressure in the equipment or system (e.g., air conditioning system, boiler, etc.) is greater than the pressure in the drinking water line.  Backsiphonage occurs when the pressure in the drinking water line drops (due to fairly routine occurrences such as water main breaks, fires, heavy demand, etc.) and contaminants are sucked out of the system and into the drinking water line.

 Why should I be concerned about cross connections?

     An unprotected or inadequately protected cross connection on your premises could contaminate the drinking water not only in your facility, but in neighboring businesses and homes.

     Severe illnesses have been caused by cross connection events that could have been prevented.  Unprotected and inadequately protected cross connections have been known to cause outbreaks of hepatitis A, gastroenteritis, Legionnaire's disease, chemical poisoning, body lesions (from exposure through showering), damage to plumbing fixtures, and explosions.  

 What is my responsibility as a home owner?

     All work done on the internal plumbing system of your home must be performed by a Massachusetts licensed plumber.  Any changes to your plumbing must be approved by your local plumbing inspector and public water supplier as necessary. 

Hose Bib Distribution-

    The ordinary garden hose is the most common way to contaminate the water supply.  This can happen when one end of a common garden hose is attached to an outdoor faucet, and the other end of the hose connects to an aspirator type bottle may be siphoned back into the drinking water , water supply.

    You can easily prevent the possibility of this type of contamination by installing a Hose Bibb vacuum breaker.  This free device is available upon request at our office and simply attaches to a threaded water faucet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infrastructure Upgrades

à Construction of the access Road to the proposed pump station  (Hayden 23) will occur over the next year.

à A Water Rate Study will be performed over the next few months with implementation of any Rate change for July 2013.

 

 

 

Board of Water Commissioners

Monthly Meetings:

     You are invited to participate in our public forum and voice your concerns about your drinking water. We meet the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM at the Centerville Fire Station, Route 28, Centerville, MA.

     Meetings are subject to change.  Changes will be posted at Town Hall,

Centerville Fire Station, the Water Department Office and our website.

 

Congratulations to our Employees

Chatham Fawkes and Ryan Murphy for upgrading their state drinking

water licenses.

 

We would like to thank GARY OAKLEY for 35 years of dedicated service to COMM WATER DEPT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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