With construction of the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant underway, the Commission’s educational tours at the existing West Parish Filters have been limited but certainly not paused. In late November, we were thrilled to welcome two groups, Westfield State University environmental science students, and students and educators from the Holyoke Community College Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Program. Even amidst construction, these tours offered a un

Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is pleased to announce it has received $16.9 million in loan forgiveness from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust Drinking Water Revolving Fund for its new West Parish Water Treatment Plant.  The loan forgiveness is tied to a $65,000,000 competitive low-interest loan awarded to the Commission for the project in 2024, when it was the top-ranked drinking water project on the Clean Water Trust’s

Recently we shared a story about an inoperable century-old valve that was critical to diverting flow around the site of the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant. It was Mike Townsley who managed to machine a new gear assembly to open the valve and keep the project on track.  Mike Townsley has been part of the Commission since 2008, starting at West Parish Filters before transferring in 2011 as Assistant Resident Manager of Provin Mountain, which is located in Agawam. Provi

During the month of October, crews focused on continuing the excavation south of the existing treatment plant and preparing for the installation of the raw water pipelines that will supply Commission customers now into the future. These two enormous concrete-lined steel pipes will carry water to the new water treatment plant from the new Energy Dissipation Valve (or EDV) that’s nearing completion. The EDV is located at the Sedimentation Basin, which is currently where 40 mill

For over a century, chlorine has been central to drinking water treatment in the United States. Its introduction in 1908 in Jersey City and Chicago revolutionized public health, drastically reducing waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid. Chlorination is often cited by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization as one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20 th century. But as our understanding of

Now that tie-ins are complete, the excavation area that has been a muddy construction site for months has been neatly backfilled and reseeded with grass. The service road at Gate 3, a road that’s important for operations, has been paved and reopened. Meanwhile, excavation has begun for the permanent 60” pipe and 72” pipes that will carry raw water from the new Energy Dissipation Valve (or EDV) chamber to the new treatment plant. Above, an excavator is stripping overburden sou

In August the first four critical transmission main tie-ins were completed. Treated water is now being rerouted around the project site. This was an important step to complete before the contractor could begin demolishing the slow sand filters. The construction crew completed the final connections to a new bypass pipe to re-route water around the new water treatment plant site. In order to minimize the amount of time that the transmission main would be offline, the crew worke

As the new West Parish WTP construction advances, we are learning how fortunate we are to have a skilled and committed Water Operations staff, who combine their expertise with creativity to step up when challenges arise.  Recently, that expertise was put to the test with Valve 215, a 100-year-old, 36-inch gate valve. This valve was central to recent efforts to re-route transmission mains around the old slow sand filters to allow for continuous treatment while the new plant is

Over the past several days, the Commission has been celebrating Source Water Protection Week (Sept. 29-Oct. 4) to appreciate and raise...

On Friday, August 22, 2025, Water Operations staff gathered at West Parish Treatment Plant to give a final farewell to the slow sand...

This summer, the Commission kept busy—not just building a new water plant, but also laying the foundation for the next generation of...

It was another hot, muggy, stormy month in Westfield with crews working towards demolition of the slow sand filters and complete critical...

June was another busy month of construction at the West Parish Filters plant, this time with less rain, but higher temperatures. Our...

If this landscape looks lush and green, that’s because it seemed to rain constantly in May in Westfield. We’re working through it,...

Construction activities started to pick up even further in April. Here’s some highlights from the field… Crews relocated the process...

This December marks an epic milestone for Superintendent of Water Facilities Mike Popko, who will celebrate twenty years with the...

Earlier this month the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant was presented to water professionals from all over New England at the New...

Two groups of visitors recently became part of history as some as the last tour groups to ever see the West Parish slow sand filters...

Check out our new story map , which traces the flow of your water through the Commission's drinking water and wastewater systems, from...

While we prepare for the construction of the New West Parish Water Treatment Plant, the show must go on at the existing West Parish...