The Water & Sewer Advisory Board on Wednesday discussed the December replacement of granulated activated carbon in Well 6, the town’s main water supply. It also shared the latest details on the town’s progress toward connecting to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority system.

Chair Paul Gallagher noted that he spoke with Department of Public Works director Kerry Reed recently about the process. Also known as charcoal, the substance acts like a sponge, attracting contaminants as it increases in size. It then is removed.

“She said it went about as well as could be hoped,” said Gallagher. “It was a lot more arduous in terms of operator hours and sampling requirements than they had expected.”

Well 6 was outfitted with a water filtration system in June 2024 in response to elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS in the water. This system was designed to remove PFAS to levels reliably and consistently below the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant levels.

PFAS levels in water have been an ongoing concern for the town. Known as “forever chemicals,” these synthetic, potentially harmful chemicals used since the 1940s can be found in a wide variety of household products and industrial processes.

“Two learning points” were gained from this  process, Gallagher added. The first was that the town needs a redundancy system in case Well 6 needs to be taken offline. The other was to use granular activated carbon that would need less backwashing.

Progress made toward MWRA connection

Reed recently filed an annual report with the MassDEP, Gallagher said. This is required of any community seeking connection to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) system, he explained.

The report noted that Pare Engineering, the town’s consultant, prepared a 50% design for the proposed connection. The firm also submitted a projected future water needs update to the state in July.

A big step forward is that the town is seeking to acquire land in order to build a potential pump station, Gallagher noted.

“It looks like things are moving ahead,” he said, noting that land purchase will be on the warrant for Annual Town Meeting on May 2.

If the MWRA connection is achieved, Gallagher said that Well 6 likely will be decommissioned. But construction of a connection to Southborough’s water supply, which will take two years, is not anticipated to be completed until 2029. Before that, an intermunicipal agreement must be implemented by both towns.

He added that the permitting process for a connection usually takes three years through the Water Resources Commission.

Said Gallagher: “I think we’re looking to collapse it down to considerably less than three years.”

“It’s been slow going,” added member Rob Scott. “Over the last year, we’ve been harping on expediting it the best we can.”

Water leak survey detects 3 leaks

Gallagher reported that he recently received the town’s annual leak survey from Reed. It noted that there were three water leaks detected in town since November.

“One was a service leak, one was a hydrant leak and one was a main leak,” Gallagher explained. “The estimated leakage was 104,000 gallons a day.”

Gallagher called this number “pretty significant,” seeing that the town produces a million gallons of water each day.

But the positive is the board previously estimated that the “unaccounted-for water” caused by leaks was about 15-20%.

The water main leak occurred at 62 Grove Street on Dec. 22 and was repaired the next day. One Dec. 18, there was a hydrant leak at 96 Front Street, which was fixed, and a service leak at a Castle Hill Road home. The service leak is expected to be repaired next week, “once the weather cooperates,” according to Scott.

State water audit grant anticipated

On a related note, Gallagher said he also learned from Reed that the department is poised to receive a state grant for a town water audit.

MassDEP is in the process of awarding grants for American Water Works Association M36 “Top-Down” Audits. The audit’s purpose is to track water losses, which can lead to prevention efforts.

This grant program is designed to assist eligible public water suppliers and municipalities with Water Management Act permits, according to the state website. Funding for this program is contingent upon appropriation by the Massachusetts Legislature. MassDEP will choose the private consulting firm that will perform the audit.

Once the consultant is selected, Gallagher said there will be a formal notice regarding the award.

Drought status updated

The state declared on Jan. 12 that central Massachusetts, including Hopkinton, is in a state of significant drought, along with the northeastern part of the state. This is considered a Level 2 situation, with Level 4 being an emergency.

Gallagher noted that December was drier than anticipated.

The state’s website encourages residents to minimize water usage, fix indoor leaks and follow local water use restrictions.