Above: A new generator was purchased for the Boland Pumping Station after the backup pump caught fire last fall
Every year the Southborough Department of Public Works, along with the MWRA, publishes a water quality report. The report provides testing data, along with information on the condition of the overall water delivery system. You can read the complete report online, but here are some highlights.
- If I’m reading the results correctly, the drinking water in Southborough is clean, with only low, non-actionable levels of lead, copper, PCE, and coliform bacteria.
- As part of an annual leak detection survey, a contractor examined 52 miles of the town’s water mains. That’s about half of Southborough’s total water system. The survey identified four hydrant leaks and three service leaks. All told last year, one water main, eight service leaks, and 16 hydrants were repaired.
- A special epoxy seam sealant was applied to the interior of the water tank on Overlook Drive. The ceiling and roof of the riveted steel structure, which was built in 1931, was also painted. The work was in response to a notice of non-compliance the town received in March 2010.
- The Water Division has been working to replace all residential meters. A contractor replaced and downsized all large non-residential meters in the system.
- The town purchased a new generator for the Boland Pumping Station on Northboro Road. The generator eliminates the need for the gasoline-powered backup water pump that was previously used. It was the backup water pump that caught fire in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene. With the power out, the backup pump had to run for a long time, causing excessive heat to build up in the pump’s exhaust system, which led to the fire.
