Flushing of Pittsfield's Water System to Begin Tuesday

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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.
 

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PHS Air and Water Quality Within Accepted Levels

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Air and water quality testing at Pittsfield High School came back within acceptable levels, and the administration is open to additional testing. 

Last week, the School Committee accepted test results on the facility that has sat on East Street for nearly 100 years.  The report was done in collaboration with Atlas Technical Consultants and the Pittsfield Water Department. 

Readings were "acceptable" in all tested locations, and there are recommendations for monitoring humidity, replacing equipment, and additional air monitoring when needed.  Some retesting needed to be done, and a couple of sink faucets were removed in the process. 

"If you want every room sampled, we can do it," Mayor Peter Marchetti said in response to Ciara Batory's concerns about air sampling in only a handful of rooms. 

"This is the report that came back, and this report does not show that children are in danger."

Limited indoor air quality readings were done in rooms 102, 103, 104, and 116 on June 31.  Air quality testing was also done two years ago. 

Humidity levels were slightly above American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers guidelines in rooms 103 and 104; monitoring and dehumidification are recommended. 

The report says that mold spores captured in rooms 103 and 104 likely originated from an indoor source.  Custodial deep cleaning was done right before samples were taken, and a retest showed levels within an acceptable range. 

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