A view of the Granville Reservoir when full.
WESTFIELD – According to Department of Public Works Assistant Director Francis Cain, Well 2 was taken offline last week. “Well 1 is on and took its place. We flip-flopped,” Cain said this week.
Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said he made the decision to take Well 2 offline based on an anticipated change in the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) testing for compounds in the water. Sullivan said they didn’t lower the number of 70 parts per trillion for perflourinated carbons (PFCs), but they added three more compounds to be tested. “Well 2, we believe, will be barely over the limit,” Sullivan said, adding, “In anticipation of this, I’ve taken that well offline.”
The City of Westfield has eight wells and the Granville Reservoir which supply its water. Wells 1 and 2 supply the north side of town. Wells 3 and 4 go through the treatment plant on Shaker Road and supply all of the south side along with the Granville Reservoir, which goes through a treatment plant in Southwick and is piped into Westfield. Wells 5 and 6 are smaller and used for backup as needed; and Wells 7 and 8 have been offline for two years.
“There might be days we’re not taking water from the wells because the needs are satisfied, but they are available,” Cain said.
Cain said they are planning to build a temporary treatment plant at the site of Well 2, while waiting to construct two carbon filtration plants, one for Wells 1 and 2 and one for Wells 7 and 8. The Mayor has submitted a $13 million bond to the City Council to complete the work, which was referred to the Finance and Legislative and Ordinance sub-committees, and will be discussed at Thursday’s City Council meeting.
“At this stage of the game, we’re producing water, but it’s a balance,” Cain said. “Clearly, a harder balance when you take Well 2 out of the mix.”
Cain said they are ordering a carbon vessel and valve rack to use for the temporary treatment plant at Well 2. He said it is the same one, a 40,000 lb. carbon filtration tank that will be used to go into the treatment plant at Dry Bridge when it is built. He said Well 2 will be run through that vessel, treated and put back online.
“We’re looking for support from the City Council,” Sullivan said. He said part of the temporary solution will be paid for by the bond, as well as the two new treatment plants, water tanks, and a connector to Springfield water.
“It’s very important. I can’t move forward with finishing the filtration plant for 7 and 8, or starting 1 and 2 without the financing in place,” Sullivan said.
The Mayor said the bids for Wells 7 and 8 are out and due back April 3. A $5 million bond was approved for that work last year, but it wasn’t enough, as the cost of the treatment plants are approximately $7 million each, higher than anticipated.
Sullivan said the bond will be paid for by water rates. “The water commission took a tough vote to increase rates. I commend them for doing that,” he said.
As far as the lawsuit the city has filed against three manufacturers of aqueous film forming foam which contained the chemical compounds, Sullivan said they will take years to settle.
“That decision will be made by the Executive Office when and if any positive results come from any and all lawsuits,” he said, adding, “Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of waiting for that process to happen. We need clean water now.”
