Methuen Water Department

We're pleased to present our annual water quality report covering January 1 through December 31, 2017. In recent years, municipal water has become significantly safer and more reliable than at any other time in human history. Methuen conducts hundreds of water quality tests annually to ensure safety and superior quality. In 2017, we successfully met all federal and state municipal water standards.

Lead in drinking water remains an important topic. System-wide, Methuen has maintained lead levels below the action threshold for many years, though some lead service lines still exist within our town. The water department actively identifies and replaces any remaining lead connections. We collaborate closely with the Massachusetts Departments of Environmental Protection and Public Health to minimize lead exposure risk, especially for children in our community. More information about lead can be found in this report.

Water conservation also deserves attention. Despite spring rainfall, conserving our water resources remains essential. While no mandatory restrictions are currently in place, we encourage all residents and businesses to practice water conservation. Page 7 of this report includes helpful tips for indoor and outdoor water conservation.

The Methuen Water Department takes pride in delivering high-quality water to your home, and we want you to share our confidence. Please contact us with any questions or concerns about your water quality. For a printed copy or if you have questions about our report, email us at jtorelli@ci.methuen.ma.us

The primary protection for any water system is securing clean water sources. Methuen's Water Treatment Plant draws surface water exclusively from the Merrimack River, which originates in New Hampshire's White Mountains. The Merrimack River watershed spans over 4,672 square miles across New Hampshire and Massachusetts. This extensive recharge area gives the river tremendous capacity to supply water even during prolonged droughts.

Over three decades, the river has undergone remarkable water quality improvements. Upstream wastewater treatment facilities installed in the late 1980s and elimination of hidden outfalls have contributed to the river's "B" classification. Our intake station is positioned directly alongside the river. The treatment plant processes an average of 4.5 million gallons daily (MGD), with summer peaks of 6 MGD, totaling approximately 1.7 billion gallons annually. This increased demand primarily results from non-essential uses like lawn irrigation.

Methuen maintains 12.6 million gallons of water storage throughout the distribution system, helping ensure consistent pressure across 200 miles of underground piping delivering water to homes and businesses. While watershed protection is crucial, it's just one measure we take to ensure the highest water quality. Water treatment reduces contaminant levels to safe ranges and can effectively eliminate many substances, though it cannot remove all traces of all potential pollutants.

To ensure tap water safety, Massachusetts DEP and US EPA establish regulations limiting contaminant amounts in public water systems. All water, including bottled water, may contain small amounts of some contaminants, which doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or your local water provider.

We monitor our water system continuously. Beyond tracking water flows and pressure, our state-of-the-art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system monitors multiple water quality parameters with alarm capabilities. If the system detects any anomalies, alarms immediately alert the certified operator on duty.

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