DPW Highlights: Water Division

The Weston Department of Public Works is a department that does not always get the recognition it deserves.  We appreciate the men and women the DPW that continuously work hard to get things done so the Town remains as beautiful as a scenic postcard. We would like to recognize the DPW every week by highlighting each division, and provide insight to what their jobs entail. National Public Works Week is May 21-27, 2023, however we wanted to showcase them starting this week. This week will highlight the Water Division, which is led under Superintendent David Fava. 

Existing Staff:

In the water division there is a superintendent, a heavy equipment operator, a water specialist and a meter reader.

Operational Duties (existing and proposed)

Daily operation and maintenance of the Distribution System:

a.       116 miles of water main;

b.       950 plus hydrants;

c.       3600 plus customers / services;

d.       Two pump stations (Wellesley Street and Black Oak) – 0.8 MGD to 5.3 MGD;

e.       Three Tanks (Paines Hill, Cat Rock and Doublet Hill) – 2.6 MG storage capacity;

2. Maintenance of instrumentation, controls, pumps, meters, valves, generators, grounds (around the tanks and the pump stations), etc. which may involve coordination with consultants, vendors, other Town Departments, etc.;
3. Maintenance of existing Water Division equipment including vehicles, tapping machines, saws, etc.;
4. Daily pump station (2) and tank inspections (3);
5. Maintenance of Water Division records, including but not limited to chain of custody test samples, pressure tests and bacteria sample results, inspection logs (stations, tanks, various inspection sites, etc.), tie cards / tie books, annual statistical reports, consumer confidence reports, annual town reports, etc.;
6. Coordination, as necessary, with regulatory agencies including Board of Health (local), Conservation (local), Building Department (local), MWRA, MassDEP, EPA, etc.;
7. Weekly water sampling at several locations (four sample locations three weeks per month) including transporting to MWRA laboratory;
8. Monthly water sampling at each of the three tanks (three sample locations one week per month) including transporting to MWRA laboratory;
9. MassDEP required Lead and Copper Sampling on a routine basis – 15 sample locations once per year (typical);
10. MassDEP required Asbestos Sampling on a routine basis (program currently occurs once every five years);
11. MassDEP Sanitary Survey on a routine basis;
12. I note that the testing and sampling requirements over the last several years have not declined, but actually increased with the addition of tank sampling required on a monthly basis occurring this past year.  With the recent water distribution issues in the news recently, I would expect that testing and sampling increases to occur over the next several years;
13. Inspections of new water lines, new water services, and service taps;
14. Providing utility mark-outs (water and drainage) for DIGSafes during normal business hours and on an emergency basis;
15. Review of proposed site plans and their proposed impacts on water mains and proposed water services;   
16. Turn on and off water services for demolition permits, summer services (20 locations – install summer meters in Spring and remove summer meters in the Fall);
17. Work with other utilities, contractors, residents, and developers on water related issues;
18. Respond to telephones calls, emails, letters, etc. from utilities, contractors, residents, and developers on water related issues;
19. Investigation of water leaks reported by staff including our leak detection contractor, police, fire, residents, developers, etc.;
20. Repair and/or replacement of existing water mains;
21. Repair and/or replacement of existing water services from the water main to the service gates.  This activity is conducted in conjunction with the DPW roadway reconstruction program.  As an example elimination of lead services/links from the distribution system; 
22. Repair and/or replacement of existing fire hydrants.  This activity is conducted in conjunction with the DPW roadway reconstruction program as well; 
23. Repair and/or replacement of water gates.  This activity is conducted in conjunction with the DPW roadway reconstruction program; 
24. Coordination and conduct typical annual water distribution programs:

a.       Annual (Hydrant) Flushing Program;

b.       Annual Leak Detection Program;

c.       Annual Cleaning and Inspection of Existing Water Tanks Program;

d.       Annual Backflow and Cross Connection Survey and Testing Program; 

e.       Proposed Annual Lubrication and Gate Maintenance Program;

25. Emergency on-call services (24/7/365) for DIGSafe markouts, reported leaks, responding to alarm calls (high water level, low water level, intruder, loss of power, etc.);
26. Maintenance of Water Division’s inventory (distribution pipe, service pipe, meters, gates, fittings, tools, equipment, etc.);
27. Purchasing and payments of invoices for Water Division parts, tools, equipment, contract services, etc.;
28. Preparation of invoices for equipment rental, purchase of water, etc.;
29. Scheduling or personnel for job tasks, vacation leave, sick leave, holidays, seminar training required to maintain water licenses, etc.;
30. Manage Work Order program for Water Division;
31. Water meter reading including two cycles annually, final meter reads, etc.;
32. Water billings including proofing meter read reports;
33. Respond to high water bill complaints (100-200 per billing cycle) which may involve a checking of the records, a simple discussion with customer, a site visit to investigate potential issues (e.g. running toilet, problems with irrigation system, etc.), removal and testing of the existing meter, abatements, etc.;
34. Provide input on development of the short-term and long-term Capital Improvement Program;
35. Provide input to Engineering during design phase and construction phase of the Capital Improvement Program;
36. Provide updates, as needed, the Water Division’s Emergency Response Plan;
37. Propose providing training exercises to the staff for various potential water distribution issues (e.g. service leaks, water break, pump station shut down, reduced capacity issues, etc.); 

Over the last couple of years, the Water Division has made great strides including the replacement of the existing pump station at Black Oak, the hydrant rehabilitation program, the reduction in unaccounted for water (through an aggressive leak detection, repair program, and wireless meter reading system), an annual complete Town hydrant flushing program, improvements to water quality by adding flushing points in the water distribution system, etc.

There are many programs that are still a work in progress such as:  an aggressive meter replacement program, an annual gate valve maintenance and replacement program (to limit significant shutdowns during emergency operations such as a water break), elimination of high and low pressure zones in the water distribution system through clarity of the hydraulic model, long term capital improvement plan (i.e. 25 years out  touching on capacity issues, pressure issues, tank issues, distribution piping issues, valve issues, potential earlier leak detection technology, etc.), reduction of customer complaints/concerns (mainly usage complaints), etc.

Some other duties and responsibilities may have been missed, but the above hit the major tasks conducted under this Division.