OAKDALE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY NOW ONLINE

With Waterline Industries starting construction in July 2021, the Oakdale water treatment facility was given approval to operate by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in January of 2023.

The facility treats water from the Oakdale Well at a maximum rate of approximately 1 million gallons a day, with a maximum output of 700 gallons per minute.

The green sand filter technology used in Oakdale removes manganese, the naturally occurring mineral that is prevalent in New England water. Although only a secondary contaminant, the West Boylston Water District was ordered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to remove as much manganese from the water as possible after testing at a rate of 0.3 parts per million, the maximum limit set by the Commonwealth.

At it's highest concentrations, Oakdale Well was registering over 1.0 parts per million of manganese. Current output from the facility (called finished water) is now testing at 0.01 parts per million.

The process in which the manganese is removed from the water unfortunately does require additional chlorination in order to recharge the green sand filter media. Chlorination has been used as a disinfection tool by public water systems for decades. Current Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection standards (310 CMR Section 22.07E)  allows water to have a maximum rate of to 4.0 parts per million. The West Boylston Water District tests finished water on a daily basis and brings samples to a DEP approved laboratory for certified results to be sent to the Commonwealth once a month.

More information on rules and regulations that the District follows can be found by clicking this link: https://www.mass.gov/doc/310-cmr-2200-the-massachusetts-drinking-water-regulations/download