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DPW workers finishing up repairs to a broken water line on State Road. The MassDEP has lifted a boil water order for the city except in those areas around the breaks on American Legion Drive and State Road.

North Adams Lifts Boil Water Order for Most of City

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has lifted a boil water order — with several exceptions — that was issued late Monday morning following several water line breaks over the weekend. 
 
As of 2:20 p.m., repairs have been completed, and water tests have shown no presence of total coliform or E. coli bacteria, according to the mayor's office. 
 
However, the state Department of Environmental Protection has continued the boil water requirement for buildings affected by the breaks: 40 Main Street, 10 to 36 American Legion Drive, and 40 American Legion Drive; and 74 to 264 State Road, and 15 to 57 Biltmore Ave.
 
Those areas were directly affected by a water line break on American Legion Drive and one on State Road. 
 
These properties remain under an order to boil water or use bottled water for drinking, making ice, food preparation, brushing teeth, and washing dishes.
 
"Since the initial public notification, we have made repairs and utilized an interconnect between our High and Low Service Areas, increasing pressures throughout the system. Bacteria samples were collected on December 15, 2025, at areas affected by low pressure," a statement from the Water Department reads. 
 
"Repairs are underway to restore water to the remaining affected areas. Bacteria samples will be collected once water is restored. We will notify these affected areas when it is no longer necessary to use boiled or bottled water."
 
The first break occurred in a line behind the water treatment plant on Pattison Road; the line was in a field and difficult to access. The drop in pressure and the continued cold caused other breaks, including the one in front of the fire station and the other by Carr Hardware on State Road. 
 
These caused outages and low water pressure in several areas off the city. Residents on Monday were advised to boil water or use bottled water for drinking, making ice, food preparation, washing dishes and brushing teeth.
 
For more information, contact the Water Department at 413-662-3157 and residents are urged to share this information with other who may not have received the notice. 
 

Tags: drinking water,   water line,   

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RFP Ready for North County High School Study

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The working group for the Northern Berkshire Educational Collaborative last week approved a request for proposals to study secondary education regional models.
 
The members on Tuesday fine-tuned the RFP and set a date of Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m. to submit bids. The bids must be paper documents and will be accepted at the Northern Berkshire School Union offices on Union Street.
 
Some members had penned in the first week of January but Timothy Callahan, superintendent for the North Adams schools, thought that wasn't enough time, especially over the holidays.
 
"I think that's too short of a window if you really want bids," he said. "This is a pretty substantial topic."
 
That topic is to look at the high school education models in North County and make recommendations to a collaboration between Hoosac Valley Regional and Mount Greylock Regional School Districts, the North Adams Public Schools and the town school districts making up the Northern Berkshire School Union. 
 
The study is being driven by rising costs and dropping enrollment among the three high schools. NBSU's elementary schools go up to Grade 6 or 8 and tuition their students into the local high schools. 
 
The feasibility study of a possible consolidation or collaboration in Grades 7 through 12 is being funded through a $100,000 earmark from the Fair Share Act and is expected to look at academics, faculty, transportation, legal and governance issues, and finances, among other areas. 
 
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