Question 1

What is the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant?

Accepted Answer

Drinking water for Springfield, Ludlow, and several other communities in the lower Pioneer Valley is currently treated at the West Parish Filters Water Treatment Plant in Westfield. The plant was originally built in 1909, expanded between the 1920s and 1960s, and was last significantly modernized in 1974 following passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The new West Parish Water Treatment Plant is an entirely new treatment facility that will be built to replace this 50+ year old infrastructure.

Question 2

Why do we need a new drinking water plant?

Accepted Answer

The existing plant is no longer capable of filtering water to the extent necessary to meet today’s drinking water regulations. Since 2019, quarterly public notifications about elevated levels of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) have been issued due to limitations of the plant’s 1970s and 1920s technology, and changes in raw water quality caused by climate change.

Question 3

When will the new plant be complete?

Accepted Answer

Construction of the new plant is scheduled to be complete in fall 2028. The first year of will primarily involve demolition of the slow sand filters and making bypass connections to the new water plant.

Question 4

What will be different about the new plant?

Accepted Answer

A new treatment step, dissolved air flotation (DAF), will be added to the new water plant. This step will remove more natural dissolved organic matter (NOM) from the water prior to filtration. NOM is a key factor in the formation of disinfection byproducts.

The new plant will also incorporate 10 new dual-media filtration beds, eliminating the need to rely on century-old slow sand filter technology to meet demand. This will also assist in meeting DBP regulations, as slow sand filter technology does not remove as much NOM as dual-media filters.

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