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