High demand during the recent heat wave that impacted Massachusetts has contributed to low water levels in several community systems, prompting restrictions on use and causing discoloration.Operators of the Weir River Water System — which serves Hingham, Hull and North Cohasset — said discoloration in those communities was directly linked to the recent weather. “The source of the discoloration is naturally occurring sediment within the system, stirred by pressure fluctuations from exceptionally high demand during this ongoing heat advisory impacting much of the Northeast,” Veolia, the company that runs the water system, wrote in a statement.On Saturday, Hingham issued a mandatory total ban on all non-essential outdoor usage of water from the system. Residents are still permitted to run water through indoor taps to clear discoloration as needed, officials said.”This decision is has been made so we may continue to address the discolored water issue and maintain tank levels for fire protection,” Hingham officials wrote. Additionally, the town of Hingham said it plans to conduct a second drive-through distribution of bottled water at Hingham High School on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. A Friday message from the town of Hull indicates that water testing on Wednesday confirmed the water, while discolored, passed MassDEP’s Drinking Water Standards. To help clear discoloration, officials said crews are flushing the system through fire hydrants. “The tinted water color that people are seeing in their home service is mostly due to the mineral sediment (iron and manganese) in water mains that was stirred up by recent events,” town of Hull officials wrote. Additionally, the town of Bridgewater announced Thursday its own full ban on outdoor water use in an effort to conserve water. Town water tanks were in danger of being empty by Monday if action was not taken, officials said. “Increased demand for water during the heat wave combined with prohibited outdoor usage and ongoing well replacement projects has drained Town water tanks to their lowest levels in years,” Bridgewater officials wrote in a statement.Bridgewater officials said they were also reactivating a well that had been turned off for scheduled maintenance. That process, they said, could contribute to a “slight discoloration” in the water system.
HINGHAM, Mass. —
High demand during the recent heat wave that impacted Massachusetts has contributed to low water levels in several community systems, prompting restrictions on use and causing discoloration.
Operators of the Weir River Water System — which serves Hingham, Hull and North Cohasset — said discoloration in those communities was directly linked to the recent weather.
“The source of the discoloration is naturally occurring sediment within the system, stirred by pressure fluctuations from exceptionally high demand during this ongoing heat advisory impacting much of the Northeast,” Veolia, the company that runs the water system, wrote in a statement.
On Saturday, Hingham issued a mandatory total ban on all non-essential outdoor usage of water from the system. Residents are still permitted to run water through indoor taps to clear discoloration as needed, officials said.
“This decision is has been made so we may continue to address the discolored water issue and maintain tank levels for fire protection,” Hingham officials wrote.
Additionally, the town of Hingham said it plans to conduct a second drive-through distribution of bottled water at Hingham High School on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.
A Friday message from the town of Hull indicates that water testing on Wednesday confirmed the water, while discolored, passed MassDEP’s Drinking Water Standards. To help clear discoloration, officials said crews are flushing the system through fire hydrants.
“The tinted water color that people are seeing in their home service is mostly due to the mineral sediment (iron and manganese) in water mains that was stirred up by recent events,” town of Hull officials wrote.
Additionally, the town of Bridgewater announced Thursday its own full ban on outdoor water use in an effort to conserve water. Town water tanks were in danger of being empty by Monday if action was not taken, officials said.
“Increased demand for water during the heat wave combined with prohibited outdoor usage and ongoing well replacement projects has drained Town water tanks to their lowest levels in years,” Bridgewater officials wrote in a statement.
Bridgewater officials said they were also reactivating a well that had been turned off for scheduled maintenance. That process, they said, could contribute to a “slight discoloration” in the water system.
Read More: High demand leads to water issues in several Mass. towns