Salem Water Department

This report outlines the Salem and Beverly Water Supply Board's water sources and treated water quality for 2017. Federal regulations require community water suppliers to provide annual water quality information to customers. This report includes additional details beyond minimum federal requirements as part of our commitment to enhance public understanding of your water supply and protection efforts.

Salem and Beverly consume approximately 3.5 billion gallons of water annually. This water is sourced from the Ipswich River and three reservoirs: Wenham Lake Reservoir, Putnamville Reservoir, and Longham Reservoir. Beverly's water system connects with Salem, Wenham, Danvers, and Manchester. Salem's water system connects with Beverly, Marblehead, and Peabody.

The Board recognizes the ecological importance of storing high winter and spring flows from the Ipswich River for summer use when river levels naturally decrease. During winter and spring, water is pumped from the Ipswich River to Putnamville Reservoir and/or Wenham Lake Reservoir for storage and summer usage. No water is pumped from the river during summer months. Similarly, Longham Reservoir supplements Wenham Lake Reservoir.

EPA Phase 2 Stormwater regulations require communities with populations under 100,000 to implement measures reducing water pollution from stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is a major component of non-point source (NPS) pollution. Approximately 40% of America's surveyed waterways fail to meet standards for safe fishing or swimming. According to EPA data, NPS pollution represents the nation's largest water quality challenge.

NPS pollution occurs when runoff moves across land, collecting sediments and pollutants before entering lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. This runoff can pick up contaminants from driveways, landscapes, industrial sites, or malfunctioning septic systems before entering waterways. NPS pollution can cause beach closures, fish kills, habitat destruction, and unsafe drinking water conditions.

The Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) Program evaluates public water supplies' vulnerability to contamination from land uses within the recharge area. Salem and Beverly's water supply consists of surface water from multiple sources including Wenham Lake, Longham Reservoir, Putnamville Reservoir, and the Ipswich River. A "high" susceptibility rating was assigned based on the assessment data.

This high rating reflects at least one high-threat land use within the protection area. With 17 potential high-threat land uses identified, Salem and Beverly's water supply received this designation. These threats include various storage facilities, repair shops, gas stations, dry cleaners, and waste management operations. This rating doesn't indicate poor water quality but highlights activities requiring attention for source protection.

Salem and Beverly have implemented several protective measures including development plan reviews, watershed monitoring, and waterfowl management at Wenham Lake. For more information, the complete SWAP report is available at the Salem and Beverly Supply Board and online.

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