State Commemorates National Fix-A-Leak-Week Campaign and World Water Day

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BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration commemorates World Water Day and National Fix-A-Leak Week. 
 
It marks the third day of the annual Fix-A-Leak Week campaign spearheaded by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WaterSense program, as well as World Water Day, which is led by the United Nations (UN). Fix-A-Leak week aims to raise awareness about the importance of finding and repairing water leaks in homes and businesses, while this year's World Water Day theme is accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis.  
 
"Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental right," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "We all have a role to play in protecting our water supply as the climate crisis worsens droughts and floods and alters our ecosystem. We encourage all residents and businesses to protect against unnecessary water waste." 
 
During Fix-A-Leak week, we are spreading the word about the importance of finding and repairing leaks to as many audiences as possible, including water suppliers, businesses, state agencies, and facility managers. 
 
"While water safety and accessibility are global issues, individual actions are required to address them," said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "Small changes in the ways in which we use and manage water in our daily lives cumulate into significant improvements to protect and conserve our precious water resources."  
 
The Commonwealth encourages the public to take easy steps to help prevent water waste caused by leaks: 
  • Watch your water bill for sudden increases;
  • Check your water meter regularly – the dial on the meter should not be moving; when water is not being used; and,
  • Regularly inspect the connections and drains of all other water-using devices inside and outside.
Toilets are often the sources of leaks. Inspect your toilets regularly – if they are making noises without being flushed, they are most likely leaking. Perform a dye test on any toilets that you suspect might be leaking: 
  • Open the toilet tank; 
  • Release a dye tablet or 5 drops of food coloring into the tank;
  • Don't use the toilet for 15 to 20 minutes;
  • Check the bowl of the toilet for any signs of the dye; and, 
  • If you see color, it's leaking.
The Commonwealth also encourages the following practices in order to maximize water use efficiency: 
 
  • Only run washing machines and dishwashers with full loads;
  • Reuse water from appliances like dehumidifiers, as well as water used to cook noodles and rinse fruits and vegetables;
  • Use a bucket to collect shower water as it's heating up;
  • Limit shower times; and,  
  • Use the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission's interactive water conservation tools or the MWRA's website to find even more ways to save water.
Throughout the world, communities face challenges in accessing safe drinking water. In Massachusetts, climate change presents new challenges to ensuring water supply and improving water quality. For example, Massachusetts has experienced some level of drought in five of the last seven years and is projected to experience more drought in the coming years. Contamination of water supplies by PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) and other such chemicals can cause further constraints.
 

 


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EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Ward 4 Councilor James Conant requested the meeting be held at Herberg Middle School as his ward will be most affected. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric have a preliminary plan to remediate polychlorinated biphenyls from the city's Rest of River stretch by 2032.

"We're going to implement the remedy, move on, and in five years we can be done with the majority of the issues in Pittsfield," Project Manager Dean Tagliaferro said during a hearing on Wednesday.

"The goal is to restore the (Housatonic) river, make the river an asset. Right now, it's a liability."

The PCB-polluted "Rest of River" stretches nearly 125 miles from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river in Pittsfield to the end of Reach 16 just before Long Island Sound in Connecticut.  The city's five-mile reach, 5A, goes from the confluence to the wastewater treatment plant and includes river channels, banks, backwaters, and 325 acres of floodplains.

The event was held at Herberg Middle School, as Ward 4 Councilor James Conant wanted to ensure that the residents who will be most affected by the cleanup didn't have to travel far.

Conant emphasized that "nothing is set in actual stone" and it will not be solidified for many months.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup was signed by the U.S. EPA, GE, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

Remediation has been in progress since the 1970s, including 27 cleanups. The remedy settled in 2020 includes the removal of one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and floodplain soils, an 89 percent reduction of downstream transport of PCBs, an upland disposal facility located near Woods Pond (which has been contested by Southern Berkshire residents) as well as offsite disposal, and the removal of two dams.

The estimated cost is about $576 million and will take about 13 years to complete once construction begins.

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