The Commission has released its annual Water Quality Report, covering the previous calendar year 2021. The report summarizes the results of all water quality testing completed in 2021 and how those results compare to state and federal drinking water quality requirements. The report also describes the Commission’s primary drinking water supply source and contains other important educational information about water quality, health, source water protection, drinking water treatment, and updates on the construction of a new drinking water treatment plant.
The Commission releases the Water Quality Report, also referred to as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), annually in the accordance with federal and state Safe Drinking Water Act requirements, but also because the information is important and valuable to Commission customers.
Also contained in the report is information about ongoing and planned upgrades at West Parish Filters Water Treatment Plant. As part of the planned improvements, a new drinking water treatment plant is currently under design, with construction anticipated to be complete in 2027. The $238 million project will replace end-of-life infrastructure, improve water quality, and address regulatory compliance for disinfection byproducts (DBPs), including haloacetic acids (HAA5).
The Water Quality Report is currently available in English and Spanish on the Commission’s website at https://www.waterandsewer.org/WaterQualityReport. In addition, billing customers will be notified that the report is available online via a message on their May and June water and sewer bills. Hard copies of the report will also be sent to local libraries, health department offices, and municipal offices in Springfield and Ludlow.
Drinking Water Week 2022
The release of the annual Water Quality Report coincides with Drinking Water Week – a week dedicated to recognizing the vital role that tap water plays in our daily lives. This year’s Drinking Water Week theme is “There When You Need It,” reminding customers of water professionals that work around the clock, and the water infrastructure required to keep the system operational, so that every time customers turn on the tap, clean and safe drinking water flows out.
To ensure that drinking water is “There When You Need It” into the future, in 2021 the Commission initiated a $550 million Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Renewal Program to improve drinking water quality, system modernization and reliability, and environmental protection for the Commission’s 250,000 customers across the Lower Pioneer Valley. The $550 million program is supported by a highly competitive $250 million low-interest loan from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program. The cornerstone project of the program is the new West Parish Filters Drinking Water Treatment Plant, among 26 other capital improvement projects as part of the Commission’s WIFIA portfolio.
More information about the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Renewal Program can be found in the Water Quality Report or on the Commission’s website https://waterandsewer.org/wifia/.
Additional Information
The Commission encourages customers with questions about the report’s contents to email info@waterandsewer.org or to call 413-452-1300.
A hard copy of the report may be requested by calling the Commission at 413-452-1300 or emailing info@waterandsewer.org.