Flushing of Pittsfield's Water System to Begin Tuesday

Staff Reports 08:00AM / Friday, September 01, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city of Pittsfield's Department of Public Utilities announced flushing of the city's water system will begin Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Water mains throughout the city will be flushed through hydrants over the course of four weeks to remove accumulations of pipeline corrosion products. Mains will be flushed Monday through Friday each week, except holidays, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The upcoming flushing for the week of September 5 may be expected to affect the following areas:
Starting at the town line on Dalton Avenue working west through Coltsville including lower Crane Avenue, Meadowview neighborhood, following Cheshire Road north.
Hubbard Avenue and Downing Parkway.
Starting at the town line on East Street working west through the McIntosh and Parkside neighborhoods.
Elm Street neighborhoods west to the intersection of East Street.
Starting at the town line on Williams Street working west including Mountain Drive, Ann Drive, East New Lenox Road, and Holmes Road neighborhoods.

Although flushing may cause localized discolored water and reduced service pressure conditions in and around the immediate area of flushing, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that proper levels of treatment and disinfections are maintained in the system at all times.

If residents experience discolored water, they should let the water run for a short period to clear it prior to use.

If discolored water or low-pressure conditions persist, please contact the Water Department at (413) 499-9339.

Tags: hydrants,

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Workforce Development: Kaela Martin

03:55PM / Thursday, January 08, 2026

Before Kaela Martin completed the Front Line Advanced Supervisor course at Berkshire Community College, she had already made smart career choices. She had landed a job as a welder fabricator at Lenco, an armored vehicle manufacturer in Pittsfield, in 2023 and was proving herself to be a valuable employee. But Kaela isn't the type of person to sit still and let her career path determine itself — or, worse, become stagnant.

"I started kind of accidentally working my way up at Lenco, just my helping my crew chief and taking on extra responsibilities. They saw potential and wanted to develop that. They wanted to give me the tools to do my job properly," Kaela said.

Lenco arranged for her to take the course at BCC, and she began working half of her time in the office and half on the shop floor.

"It was very unique position. I think it's a superpower, in a way," Kaela said. "I have respect on the team because they know I'm a fabricator and they know I understand their world, and now I also understand this world. It's helpful being able to bring the two together."

Because Kaela is always looking for ways to improve, the BCC course seemed to be a logical fit. It took a year to complete the rigorous course, which was held every Tuesday for 4-6 hours and totaled more than 150 hours. While taking the course, Kaela maintained her full-time schedule at Lenco, and those hours counted towards the technical hours required for the class. Upon completion, Kaela earned a certificate of apprenticeship and a certificate of Lean Manufacturing.

Kaela concedes that the course was challenging, but the rewards are worth it. After all, she is no stranger to hard work.

Born and raised in Sheffield, where she still lives with her family, Kaela has been around trades her whole life. She learned the value of trades from her father, who was an electrician.

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