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Jan 31, 2024

Brownish water still flowing through town's taps days after cold snap

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The record-breaking weekend cold snap led to nearly two dozen broken water lines in one Massachusetts town, and brownish water is continuing to flow through residents' taps.

Water troubles in Bridgewater began with the frigid temperatures on Saturday. Town officials said at least 21 residential and commercial water lines froze and broke, causing excessive flow through the system.

As a result, officials said the town's water towers dipped below levels necessary for fire safety.

"Due to this, we had to make the decision to turn wells on that we don't usually use. This has caused discoloration. Although the water from these wells are treated, they are not filtered which causes the discoloration," the town wrote in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The discoloration is caused by iron and manganese.

Town officials said they hope to be able to discontinue the use of one of the wells by the end of this week. Additionally, they said the new High Street Water Treatment Facility could be given approval within two weeks.

"Our water has always been a little bit discolored. We knew that was normal, but the last four days, it's been really, really bad," said resident Alex Murphy. "Especially having an infant child, I'm not going to put my infant child in a bath that has brown water or wash his bottles with it."

"It is a frustration, the aesthetics of the water," said town manager Michael Dutton. "(It's) not great, but it is perfectly safe to drink, safe to use in cooking."

Bridgewater has also had an ongoing issue with PFAS levels in the water. A new treatment facility is expected to address that issue.

Residents are allowed to fill an unlimited number of water jugs for free at a machine located at 151 High Street, officials said.