The Department of Public Works is chlorinating the water system as a precaution due to elevated Heterotrophic Plate Counts (HPC) detected in recent samples.
There is no cause for concern. Heterotrophic bacteria are a commonly occuring background bacteria which pose no risk to human health. These elevated levels could be caused by new water mains coming on line in the system. To date all coliform samples are negative.
Residents may experience a chlorine odor in the water until this process has been completed.
For more information, please contact the Norfolk DPW at 508-528-4990
As a point of information, typically we do not continually chlorinate our water system but, over the past three years we have been aggressively performing major maintenance on the system to improve water quality. Chlorination is a precautionary measure when we are working on the system. The residuals throughout the system are very low. Our goal is to maintain the highest standards to ensure that clean, high quality drinking water is delivered to our water customers.
Currently we have a tank off line for cleaning and painting (a project voted at Town Meeting). With this tank off line, it has been necessary to redirect the water in the system, which could account for the changes you are experiencing in the taste and smell of the water. Once the major maintenance has been completed and and we return to only the routine maintenance the changes you have experienced should diminish.
Our efforts to improve water quality for our customers continues on a regular basis and includes - flushing the system twice per year, correcting water main loops to improve water flow in the system, leak detection on mains is performed annually as a means to remedy water loss.
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