Reading Community Letter 2023

Town of Reading
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Public Water Supply
# 3246000

Dear Customer:

This 2023 Drinking Water Quality Report contains an annual update on the quality of drinking water supplied to you by the Town of Reading Department of Public Works (DPW) Water Division, in partnership with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). The water delivered to you is of the highest quality and complies with all Federal and State regulations.

In 2023 Reading purchased 572.01 MG (million gallons) of water from the MWRA. On May 29th, 2023 we had our Town’s highest single day water consumption of 2.48 MG. Our highest seven (7) day consumption of water occurred from May 27th to June 2nd for the amount of 16.1 MG. Each Reading resident has an average water use of 15,828 gallons annually, 1,319 gallons monthly or 43.37 Residential Gallons Per Capita Day (R-GPCD). A Reading resident’s average water daily use of 43.37 gallons is roughly 33% below the MassDEP limit of 65 R-GPCD.

The DPW Water Conservation Program (WCP) continued with great success in 2023. The WCP awarded 137 rebates to 108 residents for 5 energy efficient washing machines, 7 water efficient toilets, 1 rain sensor and 124 rain barrels, totaling $4,965 in rebates. Since the program’s inception in July 2003, Reading DPW has given out 4,601 Water Conservation Rebates totaling $637,990 to 3,892 Reading residents. For more information, please call 781-942-9077 or visit www.readingma.gov/262/Water-Conservation-Rebate-Program

In 2023 the Reading Water Department collected over 500 water samples for bacterial testing. Only three Total Coliform positive samples were found throughout the year. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, waterborne pathogens may be present or that a potential pathway exists through which contamination may enter the drinking water distribution system. When coliforms are found, we are required to re-sample that area. All re-sampling was performed and all of the results were non-detect.

Reading did receive a Notice of Noncompliance (NON) from MassDEP for a failure to collect, report and notify MassDEP of our system’s failure to monitor our routine annual nitrite sampling for the monitoring period of 07/1/2023 to 09/30/2023 as required by MassDEP regulation. The Reading Water Division collected and analyzed the required nitrite sample on October 19, 2023, but past the September 30, 2023 collection deadline. There were no high nitrate-nitrite levels found in any of samples collected.

The MassDEP Lead and Copper Rule required the Reading Water Division to sample water for lead and copper in residential homes in 2023. Similar to the prior triennial sampling years of 2020, 2017 and 2014, all testing results were within regulatory limits. The 2023 90th percentile of all sample results was 8.39 ppb for lead, well below the Action Level (AL) of 15 ppb, and 98.1 ppb for copper, below the AL of 1300 ppb. The Water Division continued to work with local childcare facilities and schools consistent with the LCCA (Lead Contamination Control Act) Plan. Reading’s LCCA Plan & Test Results can be found at: www.readingma.gov/269/Readings-Lead-Contamination-Control-Act-

In 2023 Reading replaced over 110 older residential water line services that contained a short lead connection pipe called a “gooseneck”. Over 40 of the oldest services had original sections of lead piping that were fully removed and replaced with new 1” copper service lines. In 2024, we look forward to Reading’s planned activation of our new Interactive Online Water Service Data Inquiry Portal where residents & the public can query town addresses to review water line service data and see our continued progress toward removing all lead pipe from our Town’s Water System.

For additional information on Reading’s water system, compliance or water quality programs, testing and results, visit our Water Quality Webpage: www.readingma.gov/267/Water-Quality-Supply. Reading’s Drinking Water Policies are set by the Board of Selectmen, which meets on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Tuesday of each month in the Town Hall at 7:00 P.M. If you have any questions regarding your water quality, specific testing programs, your water service connections or our lead or copper test results, please contact Erik Mysliwy our Town’s Water Quality & DPW Safety Administrator via phone, 781-942-9092 x1215 or via email, emysliwy@ci.reading.ma.us.