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