Flushing of Pittsfield's Water System: Oct. 14-17

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Tuesday, Oct. 14, marks the start of phase two for the fall flushing schedule of the City of Pittsfield's water system as phase 1 is now complete.
 
Water mains will continue to be flushed through hydrants over the next several weeks to remove accumulations of pipeline corrosion products. This biannual process occurs twice a year, typically in the spring and the fall.
 
Mains will be flushed Monday through Friday each week, except holidays, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. This phase of flushing is expected to occur between Oct. 14 and Oct. 17.
 
Flushing is expected to affect the following areas:
  • Starting at Unkamet Park Drive heading west up to North Street, working north to the Broadway and Lakeview streets neighborhood.
  • Starting at Plastics Avenue moving west on Dalton Avenue including the Allendale and Allengate neighborhoods. Then moving west onto Tyler Street into the Morningside neighborhood, including Springside Avenue, pushing west to North Street.
  • Lincoln and Fenn streets, Silver Lake, Wendell Avenue and the surrounding vicinity, pushing west to North Street.
  • South Mountain and Tamarack roads, Dan Fox Drive, and south to the Pittsfield-Lenox line.
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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Pittsfield Tax Rate Drops, But Bills May Rise

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The administration has presented a split rate that would increase the average single-family home's annual bill by about $220. 

On the agenda for Thursday's City Council meeting is a hearing for the fiscal 2026 tax rate: $17.50 per $1,000 of valuation for residential property and $36.90 for commercial, industrial, and personal property.  This rate uses a residential factor of 0.8299 at a shift of 1.75. 

While the rate is 44 cents cheaper than the year before for residential properties and more than a dollar cheaper for commercial properties, bills will rise. 

The FY26 levy limit of $119.5 million includes more than $2 million in new growth, and there is about $389,000 in excess level capacity. Pittsfield's real and personal property valuation is $5,650,879,534, more than $380 million higher than the previous year. 

The average single-family home has increased by more than $20,000 from $295,291 last fiscal year to $315,335 in FY26, and with the proposed tax rate, would pay $5,518.36 in taxes per year. This represents a $220.84 increase. 

The median home price increased at a similar rate, from $256,500 in FY25 to $275,150 in FY26.  Commercial property increased by more than $15,000, the median property valued at $224,250 in FY25 and $239,500 in FY26. The median commercial property would see a $327.42 annual increase in its tax bill. 

According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, there are 11,330 single-family homes in Pittsfield this fiscal year, four new parcels added from the previous year, and the assessed value of this property type rose by $226,274,900, totaling $3,572,750,000. There are 1,733 two-family homes, four fewer than the previous fiscal year, and that property type is assessed at $387,638,100. 

There are 712 commercial properties with a total value of $428,856,000, 242 industrial properties with a total value of $139,218,000, and 15 industrial power plants.  

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