WESTFIELD—Due to continuing drought conditions, the Granville reservoir will be taken offline again today.
In spite of the recent snow and precipitation the area has received, the Westfield department of Public Works decided to take the Granville reservoir offline, which will be effective later in the day on Dec. 28. It was originally reported that the reservoir would be offline yesterday, but due to the Christmas holiday being observed and routine testing that had to be done, the department determined that Dec. 28 would be a more efficient time to shut down the reservoir.
A picture of the Granville reservoir on Nov. 14. The shore is expanded and clearly visible, showing obvious drought conditions. (Photo credit: Dan Desrochers)
Public Works director David Billips said that the shutting down of the reservoir shouldn’t cause many problems for residents but some may experience a change in water pressure again.
“We made some hydraulic changes to the rest of the system so we’re confident that we can deliver similar pressures in the system,” Billips said. “Most people won’t even notice a drop and some might see a small one.”
If there is a problem with the system that does not correct itself though, Billips said that the department may put the reservoir back online temporarily.
Billips anticipates that the Granville reservoir will remain offline until the spring of 2017, after precipitation helps to fill the water source again. He estimated that the reservoir is currently down about 11.5 feet, which is considered low this time of year.
“If we get an average snowfall, which would be around 50 inches, then it will regenerate the reservoir,” Billips said. “Just a normal winter will fill it up.”
The Granville reservoir in the summer of 2014, when it remained offline for about a year and a half. (WNG File photo)
Billips once again reiterated that the shutting down of the reservoir is not new and residents should not be concerned about it. As recently as two years ago, the Granville reservoir was offline for a year and a half while repairs were made to dams and the reservoir, and Billips claimed that the system maintained fresh potable water for residents with adequate pressure through just the wells. Additionally, during the colder winter months, water is used less by residents, which lowers the demand, meaning that the reservoir’s supply may not be needed at all, anyway.
For now, Westfield will receive its water from wells one through four, with possible additional water coming from wells five and six. The city has a total of eight wells, with wells seven and eight being offline due to the contamination concerns surrounding polyfluorinated carbon compound levels in the water earlier this year.
Regarding wells seven and eight, the department is continuing to work on them, and Westfield city council’s finance subcommittee is expected to get its first chance Dec. 29 to read the $5 million bond presented by Mayor Brian Sullivan to fund the installation of new water filtration systems at the two wells. Action on the bond is expected to come within the next two months.
