City of Attleboror - Water Department

Your water bill may be higher because your recent water useage could be higher. This might be for one of several reasons: additional members to the household, additional water using devices such as a lawn sprinkler, dishwasher or swimming pool, and frequent watering of gardens. Untended leaks will also add to your bill. Leaks can manifest themselves in various ways. A water line buried in concrete could remain undetected. Leaks could exist in solar panels, hot water tanks, washing machine feed lines, irrigation system lines, and faulty toilet flapper valves.

HOW CAN I DETERMINE IF I HAVE A WATER LEAK?

You may be able to determine on your own if you have a leak. Click this link and follow the procedure.

HOW CAN I DETERMINE IF MY WATER METER IS ACCURATE?

You may be able to determine if your meter is accurate. Click this link and follow the procedure.

There are several possibilities why your water may occasionally appear dirty. Anytime a hydrant is opened, whether for a fire, flushing, or any other purpose, this action may disturb sediments that will move along in the distribution system and find their way into household plumbing.

Similarly, whenever the flow of water is interrupted, as with construction or main repair, the resumption of flow can stir sediments. A reversal of flow in the main will also lead to a disturbance of sediments.

When you fill a glass with water, it may sometimes appear cloudy white, initially. As it sits in the glass undisturbed, the cloudiness appears to rise to the top and eventually disappear. This cloudiness is the result of the presence of air dissolved in the water. The air is released in the form of tiny air bubbles which appear white in color. As the air dissipates, the cloudiness goes away. This may happen with either the hot or cold water in your home and is harmless.

The water in Attleboro is of very high quality. It must meet the strict requirements of both the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection as well as the United States EPA. Daily, weekly, and other periodic testing of the water is performed to ensure that its high quality is maintained. If, in the rare event, a problem were to arise, the City is under obligation to notify the public as to what, if any, action they should take.

Bacteria are naturally present everywhere in the environment, including raw water sources. As part of the treatment process, all water treatment plants disinfect the water prior to distribution. In Attleboro, we use sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant. The residual chlorine concentration is maintained at a level sufficient to keep all harmful bacteria out of the system.

To ensure that the disinfection process is effective throughout all parts of the City, we test the water weekly from between 12 to 15 sample points, including the most remote parts of the City. In addition to measuring the counts of background bacteria that may be present, we check for the presence of coliform as well. The coliform serve as an indicator of the presence of other more harmful bacteria. Should coliform be detected, steps would be taken immediately to identify the source and remedy the situation, usually with further disinfection.

While the detection of coliform in Attleboro's drinking water is a rare occurrence, should more than 5% of samples drawn in any given month indicate their presence, the public would be notified as to what steps should be taken. Most often, the situation would require that the water be boiled before consumption.

The water in the distribution system is monitored for quality all the time. If a resident is receiving high quality water from the distribution system, but feels that their household plumbing may be having an adverse effect on their in-home water quality, they may contact a commercial lab.

When lead is found in drinking water, it most often is there from corrosion of household plumbing. On a periodic basis, the City conducts a survey of 30 households in Attleboro and tests their tap water for both lead and copper. The most recent survey was conducted in June of 2006. The results of the last survey indicate that all the samples tested below the action levels set by the EPA and the state. The action level is the concentration above which a further treatment or other requirement would need to be undertaken by the water system.

If you are concerned that your home may have plumbing components containing lead, there are ways to minimize your risk of exposure. If your water has been sitting in the pipes for a number of hours, always let the water run for at least one minute before drawing it for consumption. Alternatively, run the water until it is noticeably colder than when you started to be sure it is fresh.

Also, never use hot tap water for cooking. Always use fresh cold water and heat it as needed. Hot water from the tap may contain more lead.

The concentration of sodium in the water varies depending on the season and on the amount of salt that has been used on roadways neighboring the watershed areas. At most, sodium is analyzed twice each year at each of the City's two facilities. The latest three-year average sodium concentration for the West Street facility is 70.0 mg/l; the average for the Wading River facility is 52.1 mg/l.

The water in Attleboro generally falls in the soft end of the water hardness scale. Additional softening of the water by the homeowner is not considered necessary. Water in Attleboro is provided by both the Russell F. Tennant Water Treatment Plant on West Street and the Wading River Pumping Station in Mansfield. The most recent sample analyses for total hardness were conducted in January, 2010. The result obtained for the West Street facility was 51 mg/l (3.0 grains/gallon); the Wading River facility was 46 mg/l (2.7 grains/gallon).On the hardness scale, 0-75 mg/l is considered soft, 75-150 mg/l is medium hard, over 150 mg/l is very hard.

All chemicals used at the water treatment facility are approved for use in drinking water. At the treatment plant, suspended and dissolved material is removed by coagulation, flocculation, and settling using polyaluminum chloride. After filtering, the water is treated with sodium hydroxide to adjust the pH. Polyphosphate is added to sequester metals and help reduce corrosion of household plumbing. Sodium hypochlorite is added to destroy pathogens, and fluorosilicic acid is added for dental hygiene.

Fluoride is a form of fluorine, one of the most abundant elements on earth. Because of its ability to reduce or prevent dental caries, water systems in the United States began adding fluoride to the drinking water in 1946. Wherever this treatment practice is in place, a significant reduction in the incidence of tooth decay can be expected. Worldwide, the Centers for Disease Control considers the implementation of water fluoridation to prevent dental caries as one of the major achievements of the 20th century.

There have been many claims made over the years that adding fluoride to drinking water has an adverse effect on human health. The American Dental Association asserts that none of these claims have ever been substantiated. They further conclude that "After 60 years of research and practical experience, the preponderance of scientific evidence indicates that fluoridation of community water supplies is both safe and effective".

Their position is further supported by a report prepared by the National Reseach Council of the National Academy of Sciences, commissioned by the EPA. The report concluded that the currently allowed levels of fluoride in drinking water do not pose a risk for health problems such as cancer, kidney failure or bone disease.

There are many things the individual consumer can do to conserve water. Click this link for a list of suggestions.