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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2025 Year in Review: Pittsfield Schools

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
08:10AM / Sunday, January 04, 2026

Latifah Phillips was hired as interim superintendent and had her contracted extended through June 2027.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools began 2025 with a controversy over alleged staff misconduct, but were able to push forward with large projects that set the district up for the future.

The school system also saw new leadership in 2025, as interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips stepped into the position vacated by Joseph Curtis, who retired from the district after more than 30 years with the district. Additionally, the city has elected a new School Committee, which will be sworn in on Jan. 5.

"I want you to know that I understand the importance of this role for the community. I don't take it lightly, and I would not have applied to come to this district if I didn't feel that one, I could be an asset, and two, that I could also continue to learn and grow in a community that I feel shares values that I also hold," Phillips said during her interview in May.

"Education is more than just a job to me; it is a passion. It is mission work."

Phillip's employment contract was recently extended through June 30, 2027.

The district launched a more than $150,000 investigation at the end of 2024 after a Pittsfield High dean of students, Lavante Wiggins, was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to traffic large quantities of cocaine in Western Massachusetts.

Allegations of staff misconduct soon surfaced on social media, and three PHS administrators and two teachers, past and present, were investigated by Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas LLP at the request of the School Committee.

The public was provided information on the case through five executive summaries that largely found the allegations unsupported. The final executive summary released in May was unable to conclude that an administrator shared a nude image with students on social media.

Both Curtis and PHS Principal Maggie Harrington-Esko retired at the end of the school year; Wiggins' case is currently in U.S. District Court.

A few months later, in the 2025 municipal election, nine candidates ran to fill the six-seat committee. Ciara Batory, Sarah Muil, Daniel Elias, Katherine Yon, Heather McNeice, and Carolyn Barry were elected for two-year terms.

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