UPDATE, September 3rd

Maynard officials have provided additional information about Thursday’s water main break at Summer Hill Glen.

The town is continuing to ask residents to eliminate outdoor water use and limit nonessential indoor water use through at least Sept. 8 after the break resulted in the loss of approximately 1.5 million gallons of stored water.

In response to questions from The Maynard Voice, Department of Public Works Director Justin DeMarco said Maynard’s water system is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a combination of automated technology and staff oversight.

DeMarco said the failure was not the result of a lack of monitoring by either the town or the private property owner.

How the Break Was Detected

Maynard uses a computerized system known as SCADA, short for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, to monitor its water system.

In practical terms, SCADA allows water department operators to continuously keep track of hundreds of functions involved in producing, storing and distributing the town’s water. When certain measurements move outside established limits, the system automatically sends alarms to operators. Some functions can also shut down automatically when necessary to protect the system and public health.

That technological monitoring is supplemented by regular monitoring of water facilities by DPW staff.

In this case, the first warning came from an emergency low-water-level alarm in the town’s storage tanks.

DPW staff responded and began surveying the town to determine where the water was being lost. Crews eventually located the break in the middle of the driveway at Summer Hill Glen and isolated it by closing valves at Thomas Street and Summer Hill.

The town also conducts proactive leak detection throughout the distribution system. A third-party contractor inspects the entire system twice a year, typically in the spring and fall.

According to DeMarco, the most recent townwide leak detection inspection had been conducted approximately two weeks before the break, and no leak was detected in the Summer Hill Glen area.

That does not necessarily mean a problem was missed.

“Not all breaks start as leaks,” DeMarco explained. Water main failures can occur suddenly at pipe joints, previous repair sleeves or other weak points, rather than beginning as small leaks that gradually worsen.

Leak detection equipment often works by listening for the distinctive sound, or acoustic signature, of pressurized water escaping through a damaged pipe. If a pipe has not yet begun leaking, there may be nothing for that equipment to detect.

DeMarco said the amount of water lost in this case was significant because the break had not been reported before the falling tank level triggered the town’s emergency alarm.

Why Losing Water From the Tanks Affects the Whole System

Maynard has two water storage tanks. One holds approximately 1.5 million gallons and the other approximately 3.1 million gallons, for a combined storage capacity of about 4.5 million gallons.

The roughly 1.5 million gallons lost during the break represents approximately one-third of that capacity.

The tanks are important for more than simply storing extra water.

Maynard’s water distribution system relies on gravity. The elevation of the water stored in the tanks creates the pressure that pushes water through pipes and into homes and businesses.

As tank levels decline, water pressure can decline as well. As the tanks refill, pressure should gradually return to normal.

The stored water is also an important reserve for firefighting. The town’s water system supplies the water used by the Maynard Fire Department for fire suppression, one of the reasons DPW is prioritizing restoration of tank levels.

The local water emergency was declared because of the effect of the low tank levels on both system pressure and the amount of water available for fire protection, according to DeMarco.

The declaration was made locally in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Central Massachusetts office and under authority granted to the DPW director through the town’s water conservation requirements.

Why Conservation Can Make a Significant Difference

Maynard currently uses an average of approximately 740,000 gallons of water per day.

On the town’s highest-use days, however, demand can reach approximately 1.43 million gallons per day, nearly twice the average.

Much of that difference can be attributed to outdoor water use.

That is why eliminating lawn watering and other outdoor uses can have an immediate effect on the town’s ability to rebuild its reserves. Water the town produces must both meet current demand and refill the storage tanks. The less water residents use today, the more of that production can go toward restoring storage.

Under current late-summer conditions, DeMarco estimates that producing enough water to replace the 1.5 million gallons lost could take close to 10 days.

The town initially declared a five-day emergency in the hope that reducing demand will allow tank levels to recover more quickly.

The emergency is currently expected to remain in place through Sept. 8. At that point, DPW will evaluate storage levels and either end or extend the restrictions.

DeMarco said the emergency could technically be lifted before Sept. 8 if the tanks recover faster than anticipated, although he considers that unlikely given the town’s current production limitations.

Residents are therefore being asked to continue avoiding all outdoor water use and, when possible, delay laundry and reduce other nonessential water use.

What About Discolored Water?

Residents may continue to experience discolored water as a result of the disruption to the distribution system.

DeMarco said the water remains safe to drink. The discoloration can occur when changes in water flow disturb iron and manganese that have settled in pipes over time.

DPW normally responds to localized discoloration in part by flushing water through hydrants. That is not practical during the current emergency because flushing would release water the town is trying to conserve.

Residents who experience discoloration are encouraged to use the town’s online Discolored Water Report Form. Those reports allow DPW to track where discoloration is occurring and determine where additional attention may be needed once flushing can resume.

DPW also recommends delaying laundry when possible during the current disruption. In addition to conserving water, doing so reduces the chance that discolored water could stain clothing.

The discoloration associated with the main break is separate from the water discoloration the town had been addressing before Thursday’s incident.

According to DeMarco, the earlier discoloration was related to changes in raw water coming from Maynard’s wells, an issue that has occurred periodically and is discussed in the town’s Water Master Plan.

DPW had begun targeted flushing and planned to start its fall flushing program earlier than usual. That work has now been suspended while the town restores water storage to a safe level and will be rescheduled afterward.

Repairs at Summer Hill Glen

The broken water line is on private property at Summer Hill Glen. DPW has been in contact with the property owner, and all residents of the complex were without water as of Thursday afternoon.

The repair is currently expected to be completed by Friday, Sept. 4.

Repairing the broken line does not immediately resolve the broader issue for the town. Even after the break itself is repaired, Maynard still needs to replenish the water that was lost from its storage tanks.

That is why the town’s conservation request will continue after the repair is complete.

DPW Says Water Seen on Florida Road Is Unrelated

DeMarco also addressed reports circulating locally that water flowing from private property on Florida Road may represent another leak in the water system.

According to DPW, it does not.

The department tested the water at that location for chlorine, which Maynard adds when treating its public drinking water. No chlorine residual was detected.

The location also did not exhibit the acoustic characteristics that the town’s leak-detection process uses to identify water escaping from pressurized pipes.

DPW has determined that the water at the Florida Road property is naturally occurring groundwater and is unrelated to the Summer Hill Glen water main break.

For now, DPW is asking residents throughout Maynard to continue conserving water so that the town can rebuild its storage reserves as quickly as possible.

The Maynard Voice will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW:

Maynard residents are being asked to conserve water for the next five days following a water main break at the Summer Hill Glen complex on Thomas Street.

According to an update from the Maynard Department of Public Works, the break caused the town’s water storage tanks to lose more than 1.5 million gallons of water, which the department said is equivalent to approximately 33% of the town’s storage capacity.

DPW crews have located the break and isolated that portion of the system. Because the break occurred on private property, the town is coordinating with the property owner to complete repairs.

In the meantime, the town is asking residents to reduce water use while the system replenishes its storage reserves.

For the next five days:

• No outdoor water use is permitted.
• Residents are asked to reduce nonessential water use.
• Water use should be prioritized for drinking and cooking.
• Residents are asked to limit bathing and laundry when possible.

DPW said the town’s ability to replenish the lost water is limited and that restoring storage levels could take considerably longer if residents continue normal water-use patterns.

The town also emphasized that maintaining adequate water reserves is important for fire protection. Maynard’s water system supplies the Fire Department with water used for fire suppression, making restoration of storage capacity an important part of maintaining the town’s emergency response capabilities.

Some Residents May Notice Changes in Water Pressure or Color

Water has been shut off at Summer Hill Glen while the break is addressed.

DPW said the disturbance to the broader distribution system may also result in low water pressure or discolored water in other parts of Maynard.

The notice comes shortly after DPW had already begun addressing reports of discolored water in parts of town through targeted hydrant flushing and plans for an early start to its fall flushing program.

New Restrictions Follow Recent Easing of Drought Measures

The conservation request comes just days after Maynard eased restrictions related to the ongoing regional drought.

On Aug. 31, the town announced that Maynard had moved from Level 3 Critical Drought restrictions to Level 2 Significant Drought restrictions, allowing some limited outdoor water use to resume.

The current restrictions are related to the water loss caused by the Thomas Street break rather than a new change in the regional drought designation.

Maynard relies on groundwater sources and municipal treatment facilities to supply the town’s drinking water. While the system continues producing water, it must also meet normal daily demand as it works to rebuild the storage lost during the break.

The town is asking residents to help that recovery by reducing water use over the coming days.

The Maynard Voice has contacted town and DPW officials for additional information and will update this article as more details become available.