HOUSATONIC — Relief could be on the way for hundreds of frustrated customers of the privately owned water company serving the Housatonic section of Great Barrington.
Jim Mercer, treasurer of Housatonic Water Works (HWW), which serves 850 customers in Housatonic and small portions of adjoining Stockbridge and West Stockbridge, announced this morning his company has submitted a feasibility study conducted by Lenard Engineering Inc. to evaluate technologies for removing a stubborn mineral that has been causing roily and discolored water.
Mercer had previously retained Cornwell Engineering Group of Newport News, Virginia, to conduct a study of what was causing the discolored water that had prompted regular customer complaints. Click here to read the Cornwell report.
The company determined that the culprit was not rusty iron water mains, as was presumed, but abnormally high levels of manganese in treated water coming from Long Pond, the company’s nearby reservoir. Manganese is a naturally occurring chemical element found in minerals such as iron.
Manganese occurred occasionally and mostly during heat waves that cause warm-water conditions. Some of the discoloration may have also been caused by manganese that has accumulated on distribution system pipe surfaces and then is dislodged or suspended, Mercer explained.
“Climate change affects things and it certainly affects our water,” said Mercer.
HWW submitted a proposed preliminary plan on March 26 to the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) — the two state agencies with regulatory authority over private water companies in Massachusetts.
If approved by state regulators, a new “ultrafiltration membrane treatment system” from Koch Separation Systems will replace the company’s slow-sand filters. Combined with a pre-oxidation step using chlorine, the new filters are expected to remove manganese down to levels where discoloration will no longer be noticeable, Mercer said.
The manganese levels, while unsightly, are not harmful in levels detected in Housatonic Water Works water. Mercer cited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health standards. Those two agencies issue health advisories when manganese is present in drinking water at 0.3 milligrams per liter or more. HWW water does not exceed 0.1 milligrams per liter, but even the lower level is enough to cause discoloration.
“We are very excited to have reached this stage,” Mercer said in a written statement. “We know the cause of the colored water episodes and have committed to a solution that removes the cause.”
In an interview, Mercer was quick to add that because HWW’s water source comes from surface water rather than groundwater, the new treatment system will likely require a pilot study to confirm the “suitability” of the new treatment system. The pilot program could last a few months to as long as a year.
Once the pilot program is finished, Mercer expects construction of the new treatment system, which would include a generator and a building in which to house the system, would take approximately six months.
Mercer estimates the cost of the project would be approximately $1.7 million. If the plan is approved, the company will have to obtain approval from DPU “to allow the costs to be supported through the customer rate structure.” Mercer told The Edge the new system would cost ratepayers an estimated $15 per month.
Beyond that, Mercer could not offer a precise timeline. He has sent the proposal to both DPU and DPH, both of which must approve the plan before it can be implemented.
“We’re looking to act quickly,” Mercer added. “The onus is on them to review it and get back to us as soon as possible.”
The company has been plagued by a series of actions taken by state officials and, over the last few years, a barrage of complaints from ratepayers about brown water. HWW has been the object of numerous complaints from ratepayers who have grown more and more agitated, both in Town Hall confrontations with officials and on social media. Others have complained of inadequate communication from the company about upcoming water main flushings that worsen the discoloration. Housatonic Water Works has 17 miles of water mains and 55 fire hydrants.
The selectboard also voted unanimously last summer to continue work on an independent appraisal of the value of Housatonic Water Works in the event that the town decides to buy it, either by making an offer or perhaps through something resembling eminent domain.
Mercer said HWW plans to conduct a public information session on the company’s plans in April. He hopes to announce a precise date soon.
