Watertown Community Letter 2021

The Watertown Department of Public Works (DPW) is pleased to bring you this annual report on the quality of your drinking water. The City of Watertown purchases its water from the MWRA and supplies it to you through our distribution system consisting of 82 miles of water main ranging in size from 2 to 16 inches. The DPW and the MWRA monitor the water supply to ensure that your water meets every applicable Federal, State and local standard.

The water provided by the MWRA and Watertown is lead free when it leaves the reservoirs. If lead is present at the tap it may have been picked up through contact with brass fixtures, (which may contain lead in the alloy) , with lead solder used in older plumbing work or from a lead goose neck, a short piece of pipe connecting a service line to the water main. At the start of 2021 approximately 800 of the 9,000 services in the distribution system had lead goosenecks. The DPW partnered with A.D. Paolini, LLC to remove over 170 during 2021 ending the year with approximately 600 lead goosenecks which will continue to be removed through our Lead Gooseneck Removal Program. Watertown’s 2021 testing for lead and copper in our drinking water resulted in a 90th percentile for lead at 5.9 ppb, well below the Action Level of 15 ppb (parts per billion). Testing for copper showed a 90th percentile result of 138 ppb, well below the Action Level of 1300 ppb.

Watertown has continued its backflow protection and cross connection program, and has 3 staff members who are certified by the State of Massachusetts in cross connection control testing or survey. We have completed the survey of over 700 nonresidential properties for cross connections, and continue to resurvey properties as they change their use. Public Education information on residential and commercial backflow protection is included in your water bill annually.

Watertown collects over 500 water samples annually, which are analyzed at the MWRA lab for total coliform bacteria and chlorine residuals. Watertown had one positive sample result for coliform bacteria in September of 2021. Subsequent retests from this location were all negative and the positive test result was attributed to collection methods. Watertown was in violation of 310 CMR 22.05(1)(a) “The failure to take required routine coliform samples” during the month of August 2021. We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether our drinking water meets health standards.

During August 2021 we did not complete all monitoring or testing for coliform, and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time. The table below shows how often the City is supposed to sample for Coliform, how many samples were sup- posed to be taken, how many were actually taken, the period in which samples should have been taken, and the date on which follow-up samples were taken. As described in the last column of the table, we took the remaining required samples within 24 hours of the end of the monitoring period. The samples showed we are in compliance with all applicable drinking water standards.

Through the most recent water main replacement program contract, the water main, water services and fire hydrants on Bromfield Street were replaced. Other water projects included fire hydrant and water service replacement on various streets in conjunction with the road reconstruction projects.

The DPW is proud of our water supply, service and the staff that serves you. Water quality is a top priority of the Department. We have received 8 Public Water System Awards for excellence between 2005 and 2021 from the MassDEP and the Office of the Governor. We will always do our very best to ensure the quality of your water and of your water service. If you require more information on particular topics or schedules of City Meetings check our website at www.watertown-ma.gov or contact us at 617-972-6420. The body of this report also contains additional information about water quality as well as contacts and phone numbers for the Massachusetts Department of Environ- mental Protection, for the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, and for the MWRA.