The following brochure was distributed to the residents of Woburn, Massachusetts
with their water bills in February, 1999.
Woburn's
Water
Supply
Clean and Safe
The City of Woburn
Massachusetts
Water System History
Woburn's public water supply is over 125 years old, one
of the oldest systems in the state. Development of the water
supply system closely followed the growth of the city's
population and industry.
In 1872, the town authorized $400,000 in bonds to construct
a public water supply system. The original system consisted
of a well next to Horn Pond, an open air reservoir,
a steam powered pumping station, and cement lined
pipes. The original pumping station still stands on the shore
of Horn Pond on Lake Avenue.
Additional wells were added in the pond area in 1908, 1931,
1936, 1960, 1964 and 1985 to meet the increased demands
for water. Water storage tanks were built on Zion Hill in
1953, at Rag Rock in 1958 and at Whispering Hill in 1965.
The system of water mains has expanded from 24 miles in
1873 to over 250 miles today.
"No water has been drawn from G & H wells
or the Aberjona River Aquifer since 1979."
In 1968, Woburn became a member of the Metropolitan
District Commission Water District. This was the forerunner
of today's Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
In 1979, the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Quality Engineering
found Woburn's Wells G and H in East Woburn to
be contaminated and they were permanently removed from the
system -- replaced by a connection to the MDC water supply
in Stoneham. No water has been drawm from G & H
wells or the Aberjona River Aquifer since 1979. The Horn
Pond Mountain Reservoir was taken out of service in 1987
since it did not meet new covered storage regulations.
When the water system began operation in 1873, the city
used 0.6 million gallons per day. By 1910 that figured[sic] had
tripled. Current usage is in excess of 6 million gallons.
Water use has thus increased tenfold since the system
became operational.
Further improvements to Woburn's water system are
planned and will include construction of a treatment plant
to keep the City of Woburn in compliance with the Safe
Drinking Water Act.
The Water and Sewer
Enterprise Fund
In 1997 the City of Woburn estabished a Water and Sewer
Enterprise Fund. For the first time an accounting system
exists that mandates that monies received from water and
sewer municipal billings are used for operating and improving
the infrastructure and distribution systems of the
community's drinking water and sewer systems.
What is the Quality of
Woburn's Water?
Water Quality Standards
Like other public water supplies, Woburn's drinking water
must meet quality standards established by the Federal Safe
Drinking Water Act. This act sets primary and secondary
standards for bacterial, physical and chemical quality of
drinking water for two purposes: public health and
aesthetics (taste and odor.)
Under the Act, the state Department of Environmental
Protection is responsible for administering drinking
water starndards. The state must establish standards
at least as stringent as those set by the federal government.
The standards are enforced through water quality monitoring
and testing programs.
Monitoring and Testing
The Safe Drinking Water Act specifies the types and frequency
of Public Water Supply testing. Over the last 20
years these requirements have become increasingly stringent.
The State has primary enforcement responsibility for
Woburn's Public Water Supply and System and has adopted
drinking water regulations in effect under Sections 1412(a)
and 1412(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act. All of these
test[sic] are performed by the City of Woburn through state
and EPA certified laboratories.
The City of Woburn tests, through a State certified laboratory,
for bacterial contamination. The law requires at least
36 samples per month. Woburn performs 44 tests per
month in the distribution system, in municipal buildings
and commercial buildings. An additional 24 samples are
taken each month. The test[sic] are performed by private laboratories
certified by the State. The City of Woburn performs
tests quarterly for a group of chemicals called
Trihalogenated Methanes. (THM) Other monitoring includes:
Yearly tests for 55 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's)
Yearly tests for 25 Secondary Contaminants
Radionnuclides[sic] tests once every 3 years
Herbicides and Asbestos tests by schedule
Synthetic organic compound tests twice a year
Testing for 13 inorganic elements every three years
The city currently conducts full bench scale testing to satisfy
the Federal Lead and Copper Rule of the Safe Drinking
Water Act. Further treatment is in the design phase.
Where Does Our
Water Come From?
Woburn's water supply comes from two sources: city owned wells and the
Massachusetts Water Resource Authority.
Local Supplies
The city has seven wells in the vicinity of Horn Pond (see map.) These wells
can supply about 6 million gallons of water per day, or about two-thirds of
the city's needs. The two largest wells (wells A and C) produce over half
of the city's water supply.
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
The MWRA is a regional water supply agency serving 45
communities in eastern and central Massachusetts including
Woburn. The water which the MWRA provides to
Woburn comes from the Quabbin Reservoir, located 60
miles west of Boston. The water is brought to eastern
Massachusetts through a series of aqueducts, and into Woburn
through a connection at the MWRA's Gillis Pumping
Station in Stoneham.
What is Groundwater?
The source of Woburn's water supply is groundwater. What
is groundwater, and how is it used as a source of public
water supply?
Groundwater and Aquifers
Groundwater is stored uner the ground in a geologic formation
called an acquifer.
Wells
How is Water Delivered to Woburn's
Homes and Businesses?
Pumping
Storage
Distribution
For More Information Contact:
Office of the Mayor, City Hall
Woburn, MA 01801 · 781-932-4501
This brochure answers some questions I had about the sources of Woburn water.
Remaining questions:
- Drinking Water
- What are the source or sources of water for given addresses?
- What are the routes of the water mains?
- Is Woburn water (all of it, or just the well water, or just the
MWRA water) flouridated? I was surprised when Natick had an election
about flouridation recently: I thought it was a done deal two decades
ago.
- Woburn does not meter residential water use. Instead there is
flat billing. What is the average usage? Some homes do have meters,
some don't. What would I pay for water if my bill were based on metered
usage?
- Are there any private wells still in Woburn?
- Sanitary Sewers
- What are the routes of sanitary sewers in Woburn?
- Where does it ultimately go for treatment?
- Are there any private septic systems still in Woburn?
- Rain Sewers
- What are the routes for rain water? Where does it go?
- Does overload ever mix into the sanitary sewer system?
- Horn Pond
- What are the allowable recreational uses of Horn Pond?
- What's up with the former beach?
- What's up with swimming?
- What does that mean in the brochure, "the Horn Pond
Mountain Reservoir"? Is that something other than the
pond?
- Is the boat launching ramp available to all, or only to
residents?
- Is motorized operation prohibited? Does this include
auxiliary electric motors? Sailboats equipped with, but
not using, such motors?
