Water and Sewer Department
Sturbridge’s drinking water comes from four separate gravel-packed wells. The Source ID Numbers are 2287000-01G, 2287000-03G, 2287000-04G, and 2287000-05G, for Wells #1, #3, #4, and #5, respectively. Water from these four wells is pumped to and treated at the Sturbridge water filtration plants. As part of the process, chemicals are added to aid filtration, disinfection, and corrosion control. Adjusting the pH of the water helps to prevent lead, copper, and other metals from leaching into the water from plumbing and water mains. Sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) is used for disinfection purposes. Finally, fluoride is added for dental health.
Water from Wells #1, #3, and #5 is treated at the Iron Removal Plant (IRP). This facility uses greensand filtration to remove iron and manganese from the water. In addition to the sodium hypochlorite used at the wells, the IRP has an ultra violet (UV) disinfection system. This is used for enhanced disinfection and is required in order to comply with Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) standards. A treatment technique called blending is utilized to achieve compliance with perchlorate levels in the water.
Water from Well #4 (2287000-04G) is treated at its own separate treatment facility, which was constructed in 2011. This plant is similar to the IRP in both its filtration technique and chemical treatment. This new, more modern treatment plant has full computer control and monitoring of flows, pressures, and chemical dosing, as well as integrated alarms.
From these facilities, treated water is pumped into 28 miles of water transmission mains and into three water storage tanks. Two of the tanks hold 390,000 gallons of potable water each, while the largest holds 1.5 million gallons. This gives the water system a combined storage capacity of 2.3 million gallons, which represents about three days of normal water usage. The tank closest to the water plant is located on top of Stallion Hill. The other two tanks are located on Whittemore Road and on Church Street. In 2023, the water plants produced an average of 506,000 gallons per day (GPD) for the Town of Sturbridge, for an annual total of 184.860 million gallons. There are about 1,775 service connections to the system and more than 268 fire hydrants.
The Sturbridge Water Department, operated and maintained by Veolia, is committed to providing you with the safest drinking water possible in quantities sufficient to meet your demands. Any questions pertaining to this report or other water-related issues can be directed to Veolia’s Project Manager for Sturbridge, Shane Moody, at (508) 347-2513 or [email protected].