Water Sources

Where do we get your water?

The water provided by the West Boylston Water District is derived from groundwater, rather than surface water sources. None of the water provided by the District is from the Wachusett Reservoir. Currently, the District maintains three gravel packed wells and four storage facilities.

The quality of the water pumped and distributed by the West Boylston Water District meets or surpasses United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) primary drinking water guidelines and regulation. The EPA and the DEP require that drinking water be tested regularly. A certified laboratory performs all tests and the results are reported to the DEP. Tests for bacterial contamination are performed monthly. Tests for other contaminates are performed annually, or at a frequency determined by the DEP.

The water is treated at each source with two chemicals, prior to distribution:

Potassium hydroxide: elevates the PH of the water to help control corrosion.
Sodium polyphosphate: used to sequester iron and manganese to help reduce staining of fixtures.

Wells

Lee Street Well No. 4: (PWS ID #2321000-04G)

Located off Lee Street
Constructed in 1966
Approximately 56 feet deep
DEP approved pumping rate of 230 gallons per minute.
Part of the Lee Street Wellfield. Wells No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 have been abandoned due to poor water quality.

Oakdale Well: (PWS ID #2321000-01G)

Located off Thomas Street
Constructed in 1956
Approximately 56 feet deep
DEP approved pumping rate of 725 gallons per minute.

Pleasant Valley Well: (PWS ID #2321000-06G)

Located off Temple Street
Constructed in 1970
Approximately 111 feet deep
DEP approved pumping rate of 500 gallons per minute.

Storage Facilities

The District is served by four water storage facilities:

Lawrence Street Storage Facility No. 1

Constructed in 1940
Concrete, arched, underground reservoir approximately 72 feet by 89 feet by 9 feet
430,000 gallon capacity with an overflow elevation of 794 feet

Lawrence Street Tank No. 2

Constructed in 1978
90 foot diameter, 23 feet high, concrete tank
1,200,000 gallon capacity with an overflow elevation of 794 feet

Oakdale Tank

Constructed in 1958
50 foot diameter, 38 feet high, concrete tank
500,000 gallon capacity with an overflow elevation of 638 feet

Stockwell Road Tank

Constructed in 1965
70 foot diameter, 38 feet high, concrete tank
1,000,000 gallon capacity with an overflow elevation of 638 feet

Distribution
	Wachusett Reservoir
Though it is located in town, none of the water supplied by the West Boylston Water District comes from the Wachusett Reservoir. The Wachusett Reservoir is part of the water system run by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority that provides water for Boston and surrounding communities. When it was completed in 1905, the Wachusett Reservoir was the largest public water supply reservoir in the world.
The West Boylston Water District's distribution system consists of approximately 53 miles of water mains, ranging from 2 to 16 inches in diameter. Most of the mains are 8 inch or less in diameter. From 1939 until the late 1970's, the primary material of the mains was asbestos cement (AC). Since that time, newly constructed mains are PVC or cement lined ductile iron mains.
Booster Pump Stations
There is one primary booster pump station on West Boylston Street that boosts water from the low service area to the high service area. In addition, there are 2 other booster stations that service smaller residential areas. They are located off Prospect Street and at the Lee Street pump station.