WESTFIELD-“Water – To Know It Is To Love It” is the theme of National Drinking Water Week, and officials with the city’s Department of Public Works are hosting an open house on May 7 for its residential and commercial customers to mark the occasion.
A view of the Granville Reservoir.
For more than 35 years, the American Water Works Association has joined with water community partners to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives and in the quality of life we enjoy because of it. The city’s Water Resources Department chose to participate this year to showcase all of the upgrades that have made since the devastating effects of Hurricane Irene that struck in late August 2011. During the course of the day, a re-dedication of the treatment plant in Southwick is also planned.
The open house is slated from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and starts with a tour of its treatment facility at 25 Reservoir Road, Southwick, followed by a bus trip to the Granville Reservoir. Participants should expect that the round trip from the treatment facility will take about 45 minutes and are asked to wear comfortable shoes.
According to a 2015 city water quality report, the Granville Reservoir, a surface water source located in Granville, contributed approximately 44 percent of the city’s drinking water. All water from this source is treated and filtered at the treatment facility in Southwick.
A tour of the Granville Reservoir will be the highlight of an open house on May 7 by the city’s Water Resources Department.
“Guided tours will show where water enters the plant, where filtration takes place, how the hydro turbine process works, and how treatment chemicals are added like chlorine,” said Fran Cain, assistant director of public works. Cain is working on the logistics for the open house with colleagues including Joanna Williams, DPW’s budget analyst.
Tours will also include the lab where the water is tested, and the maintenance area that includes its dump trucks and back hoes. Also, a continuous bus trip to the “scenic vista” of Granville Reservoir is planned to round out the festivities.
“During reservoir repairs, we had to implement water restrictions and we will be able to explain why at the open house,” said Cain.
Cain noted that “major” reconstruction of the reservoir was needed after the tropical cyclone hit since one of the issues included the collapse of the spillway.
“While we were working on these projects, we also made efficiency upgrades to the plant,” said Cain.
The department’s drinking water division is responsible for producing and delivering drinking water that meets or exceeds all federal and state standards to its 11,000 residential and commercial customers. The division owns and operates more than 220 miles of underground piping, two drinking water treatment facilities, two reservoir watersheds, four booster pumping stations, seven dams and eight groundwater wells.
Persons attending the open house will also be treated to light refreshments, provided by Tighe & Bond, and businesses including Tata & Howard, Inc. will be distributing free reusable drinking water bottles, and Dig Safe will provide giveaways including rulers, highlighters/pens, and a magnifying lens.
A view of the Granville Reservoir.
Water conservation displays will also be a part of the day, as well as information on the city’s Rain Barrel Program which offers rain barrels to city residents as part of a community wide water conservation program and storm water management program.
Both Cain and Williams hope that city residents and business owners turn out to see the water process up close.
“We take water for granted since it is always there,” said Cain. “The continually monitored process is very energy intensive.”
Williams echoed those sentiments.
“We want people to see what goes into the delivery of their water and how safe and reliable it is to drink,” said Williams.
