Watertown Community Letter 2023

The MWRA and the Watertown Department of Public Works (DPW) are pleased to bring you the annual drinking water quality report. 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 or surpasses every applicable federal, state or local standard.

The water provided by the MWRA and Watertown is lead free when it leaves the reservoirs. If lead is present in the home or building tap water it may be from brass fixtures that may contain lead in the alloy; lead solder, which was used in older homes; a lead gooseneck, a flexible piece of pipe used to connect a building to the service line and water main, or on private property where your service line changes direction. In 2023 approximately 600 of the 9,000 of the services in the distribution system had lead goosenecks. The DPW partnered with Commonwealth Construction and Utilities, Inc. to remove over 120 lead goosenecks during 2023. We will continue to remove them through our Lead Gooseneck Removal Program.

Watertown’s 2023 lead levels continue to be below the Action Level of 15 ppb (parts per billion), with a lead 90th percentile result of 2.86 ppb. In 2016, all Watertown Public Schools were tested for lead and over 280 samples were cleared. Should you have any questions or concerns about the potential for lead in your own water, or service pipe material, call the DPW at 617-972-6420.

Watertown has continued its backflow protection and cross connection program, with four staff members certified by the State of Massachusetts. We have completed the survey of over 700 nonresidential properties for cross connections. 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 residual to monitor the health of our system. 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. The samples taken throughout 2023 showed we are in compliance with all applicable drinking water standards.

Through our water main gate valve replacement program contract, the water main, water services, and fire hydrants on Mount Auburn Street were replaced. Other water projects included fire hydrant and water service replacements 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 eight Public Water System Awards for excellence between 2005 and 2023, from the MassDEP and the Office of the Governor. We will always do our very best to ensure the quality of your water and your water service.

For more information or schedules of City Meetings, please check our website at www.watertown-ma.gov or contact us at 617-972-6420. This report contains additional information about water quality as well as contacts and phone numbers for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, and the MWRA.