"Full water bans are rare in Franklin"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

In spite of widespread efforts to get the word out about a full water ban that’s in effect, not everyone is getting the message.

Public works officials reported via the DPW’s Facebook page on Monday that more than 100 homes were identified Sunday night as still running irrigation systems.

Under the ban, town water customers may not do any outdoor watering - except for watering vegetable gardens and ornamental plants by hand-held hose - until further notice as part of emergency water conservation efforts to ensure adequate water for consumption and fire suppression.

The ban was put into effect July 7 after a mechanical failure at the town’s main treatment plant late on July 6 that caused heavy smoke and forced a shutdown of the facility, in addition to the town’s two largest and oldest wells that are associated with the plant.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190717/franklin-officials-urge-compliance-of-water-ban

auto sprinkler system watering the grass during 2016 drought

Franklin residents: Time to Order Your Rain Barrel

Time to Order Your Rain Barrel!

It's that time of year again! Time to order your rain barrel!

Franklin is once again partnering with The Great American Rain Barrel Company to offer residents discounted barrels for just $69. Residents may then apply for a $50 water conservation rebate from the DPW for a total cost of only $19!! 

Order by Wednesday, September 11 and pick up at the DPW Admin Office (257 Fisher St) on Wednesday, September 18 from 4-6 PM.

Click here for more information or to order
https://www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community/

Click here for a water conservation rebate application
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/rain_barrel_rebate_application_0.pdf

rain barrels at the Franklin Community Garden

"it is important for residents to comply with the full water ban until further notice"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A stringent water ban is in effect throughout town after a mechanical failure at the main treatment plant late Saturday night caused heavy smoke and forced a shutdown of the facility, in addition to two associated wells.

Town Administrator Jamie Hellen on Monday said the ban will remain in effect until further notice, as officials work to determine the cause of the failure, assess damages and undertake necessary repairs and replacements.

“We don’t know how long this (ban) will be in effect for,” Hellen said.

The DPW put out an advisory about the ban early on Sunday, stepping up water use restrictions from the conservation measures that are always in effect and that allow all types of watering one day a week according to a schedule based on address."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190708/franklin-calls-for-full-water-ban-after-malfunction-smoke-force-main-treatment-plant-shutdown


No longer allowed during the ban are the following uses:

• Irrigation of lawns and landscaping via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems
• Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety
• Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks

Residents may continue to water gardens, flowers and ornamental plants, but with hand-held hoses only.

Franklin DPW headquarters building

Attention Franklin Residents: [DPW] water ban effective immediately

Due to a fire at treatment plant the following is in effect:

The following water uses are NOT allowed:

• Irrigation of lawns and landscaping via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;
• Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety
• Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks.

The following water uses are allowed:

• Watering gardens, flowers and ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose

Violators may be fined up to $200.00

Attention Franklin Residents: [DPW] water ban effective immediately

Consumer Confidence Report: 2018 (part 3 of 3)

This is part 3 of 3 featuring sections from the Consumer Confidence Report published annually by the Franklin, MA DPW - Water and Sewer Division.
https://www.franklinma.gov/water-sewer-division

"This report describes Franklin’s drinking water sources and treated water quality for the calendar year 2018, and programs that protect the high quality of our water supply. This publication is mandated by the federal public right-to-know regulation requiring community water suppliers to provide specific treated water quality information annually to their customers. This report includes additional information beyond the minimum federal requirements in order to respond to typical questions our customers ask about Franklin’s water system."

Franklin’s Water Sources

Currently the Town of Franklin obtains its drinking water from 12 groundwater supply wells. In recent years this supply has been unable to meet peak water demands due to rapid growth and development in Franklin as well as declining water quality and capacity in some of our wells. As a result, and as required by our water withdrawal permit, annual water usage restrictions have been implemented during the spring and summer months. Franklin’s water mains have interconnections with Bellingham, Medway, Wrentham, and Norfolk. In the event of an emergency, Franklin could utilize these interconnections to maintain water pressure throughout the distribution system.

In addition to the 12 active water supply wells, the Town operates 6 booster pumping stations, 6 water storage tanks, 2,000 hydrants, 158 miles of water main and approximately 9,000 water services."

The full report can be found online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/2018_ccr_web.pdf


One of the frequent comments from residents about the amount of growth Franklin is seeing is that it is too much and will negatively affect our water supply. No, it won't. The water restrictions we have are part of the permit from the MA EPA. We have sufficient capacity. We are limited by the permit to pump less than we could.

In January 2019, Director Brutus Cantoreggi and Water Supervisor Laurie Ruszela provided an update to the Town Council. The recording of that portion of the meeting (along with the slides shown here) should answer the question on our supply.

The audio recording is found here:
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/02/fm-159-dpw-water-works-audio.html
 

Water Presentation - Jan 30, 2019 from Franklin Matters

DPW Director Brutus Cantoreggi and Water Supervisor Laurie Ruszela provided an update to the Town Council, Jan 2019

Consumer Confidence Report: 2018 (part 2 of 3)

This is part 2 of 3 featuring sections from the Consumer Confidence Report published annually by the Franklin, MA DPW - Water and Sewer Division.
https://www.franklinma.gov/water-sewer-division

"This report describes Franklin’s drinking water sources and treated water quality for the calendar year 2018, and programs that protect the high quality of our water supply. This publication is mandated by the federal public right-to-know regulation requiring community water suppliers to provide specific treated water quality information annually to their customers. This report includes additional information beyond the minimum federal requirements in order to respond to typical questions our customers ask about Franklin’s water system."

Lead Information

"Since the inception of Franklin’s corrosion control program in the early 1990s, lead and copper levels have remained well below the EPA Action Levels (AL). As shown in the table on page 2, the most recent round of testing found lead levels ranging from non-detect to 3 parts per billion (ppb) (AL=15 ppb) and copper levels ranging from 0.04 to 0.47 parts per million (ppm) (AL=1.3 ppm). If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.

Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The Franklin Department of Public Works Water Division is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at epa.gov/safewater/lead



The full report can be found online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/2018_ccr_web.pdf

Franklin’s Drinking Water Treatment Process

Consumer Confidence Report: 2018 (part 1 of 3)

Consumer Confidence Report:  

This report describes Franklin’s drinking water sources and treated water quality for the calendar year 2018, and programs that protect the high quality of our water supply. This publication is mandated by the federal public right-to-know regulation requiring community water suppliers to provide specific treated water quality information annually to their customers. This report includes additional information beyond the minimum federal requirements in order to respond to typical questions our customers ask about Franklin’s water system.

Important Information About Drinking Water

All sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) including rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells, contain some naturally occurring contaminants or substances. Because water is the universal solvent, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animal and human activity.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Removing all contaminants would be extremely expensive and in nearly all cases would not provide greater protection of health.  To ensure that your water is safe to drink, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the EPA regulates the allowable amount of certain contaminants in the water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health. This report provides you with information about the contaminants found naturally in your drinking water, the levels at which they are found, and the likely source of each contaminant.

Read the full report online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/2018_ccr_web.pdf

Franklin’s Drinking Water Treatment Process

Mandatory Water Conservation Measures are in effect as of June 3, 2019

MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES

ARE IN EFFECT STARTING MONDAY JUNE 3, 2019

AUTOMATIC LAWN IRRIGATION IS RESTRICTED 

TO ONE DAY PER WEEK ON TRASH DAY

• No lawn watering between the hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• No holiday delays for watering.
• No lawn watering is permitted on other days of the week.
• Hand watering of lawn and landscape is permitted anytime. 

The summer Water Conservation Measures are needed to limit the daily demand on the water system in order to ensure that adequate water is available to meet the public health and safety needs of the Town. This measure is necessary to maintain the water levels in the tanks for fire protection and normal consumption.  

During the summer months, the Town experiences excessively high demands for water due to lawn watering. There have been 24-hour periods during which water consumption has been more than twice our average daily water usage for the year. Because of the tremendous increase in the demand for water and State restrictions on the amount of water that can be pumped daily, the Town of Franklin must place mandatory water conservation measures in effect for lawn watering during the summer months.

A total of 1-inch of water once per week from rain and watering promotes the healthiest lawns.  Non-compliance with these regulations could adversely affect public health and safety. Violators are subject to fines up to $200.           

Private irrigation wells are not required to follow the water conservation measures, however, please remember that irrigation wells are taking water from the same aquifer as Franklin's drinking water wells, so please water wisely!  If you receive a violation warning from the DPW, please call 508-520-4910 and let us know you have a private well.

Every Drop Counts
Did you know that the average American uses 100 gallons of water every day? But we can all reduce our water use by as much as 30 percent by taking a few simple steps, such as installing WaterSense labeled plumbing fixtures and using water efficiently in our yards. Did you know that the town of Franklin pumped over 990,000,000 gallons of water last year?

The Town of Franklin DPW is committed to protecting the future of our national and local water supply through water-efficient practices, products, and services. That is why we are partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to bring to you WaterSense, a national program that offers people a simple way to make product choices that use less water—and perform as well or better than your existing products.  

The Town is now offering rebates for installation of high efficiency clothes washers, toilets and rain barrels!  Please click here for more information!

Why Should You Care?

• Using water efficiently will conserve supplies for future generations.
• Protecting and preserving the nations water supply is critical to our economic future and human health.
• WaterSense labeled products and services perform as well as or better than their less efficient counterparts.
• Purchasing WaterSense labeled products can help you protect the environment and help you save money on your utility bill.

Lawn Watering Tips
According to the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension System, lawns require only one inch of water weekly either from rain or irrigation or a combination of both.  Watering a lawn lightly on a frequent basis, rather than watering deeply once per week, encourages shallow rooting and crabgrass while making the lawn more susceptible to drought injury.  
The Town is now offering rebates for installation of rain barrels!  Please click here for more information!

Test Your WaterSense
Think you know everything there is to know about water? You can't be sure until you've played EPA's "Test Your WaterSense" online quiz! Maneuver the water-efficiency hero Hydro through water pipes and answer water-efficiency questions while avoiding water-wasting monsters such as Sogosaurus and Drainiac.

WaterSense Labeled Products
Stay tuned as WaterSense labeled products become available at a store near you! EPA maintains an online directory of labeled products that can be found here.

Learn More
What is water efficiency? You can learn more about water efficiency and water saving tips for water consumers. Learn about the benefits of water efficiency and find links to related resources and state initiated programs.
For Kids! Learn all about Water!

This is an automatic message from Town of Franklin MA. Please do not reply to this message.

Mandatory Water Conservation Measures are in effect as of June 3, 2019

FM #159 - DPW Water Works (audio)

FM #159

This internet radio show or podcast is number 159 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording shares the DPW Water Works presentation and discussion section of the Town Council meeting held on Wednesday, January 30, 2019.

DPW Director Robert (Brutus) Cantoreggi and Water Superintendent Laurie Ruszala join in the presentation and Q&A.

My notes from the session can be found here
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-dpw-water-presentation.html

One key question was asked by Councilor Deborah Pellegri about water supply capacity and new growth. The question begins at about 24 minutes.

The total meeting recording runs just about 47 minutes. Without further ado, here is the audio recording.





Follow along with the presentation copy:

Water Presentation - Jan 30, 2019 from Franklin Matters

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This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can always use your help.

How can you help?

In particular, if you have an interest in real estate, zoning or construction, I would like someone to help us by following the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and or the Conservation Commission meetings. I’ll provide the guidance on note taking and sharing. You need to bring an inquisitive, open mind and willingness to learn and share.

Overall:
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!


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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

"When we fix these water lines, we also get a brand-new road out of it"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Several streets will be torn up and repaved over the next five years after Town Council approved the latest installment of the town’s water main maintenance plan. 

Director of Public Works Robert “Brutus” Cantoreggi on Jan. 30 gave a presentation to councilors on the new five-year plan, which starts in 2020. Water mains and certain streets and sidewalks will be repaired simultaneously, a repeat of a schedule the town’s has used for 20 years of performing work in five-year installments. 

Deputy Town Administrator Jaime Hellen said that by shifting the work area every five years, the town has been able to keep up with leaks in the mains and potholes on the streets. 

“The Town Council has authorized a new $7.5 million (payment) to replace these water mains that have leaks,” said Hellen. “And we’re just at the end of this cycle at the end of 2019.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190207/franklin-oks-new-water-main-project


Note: the MA DEP water permit is based upon the average of 65 gallons of water per day (Page 4). Franklin through conservation efforts uses less than that per DPW Director Cantoreggi, we have been as low as 45 gal per day. 

Page 17 of the presentation outlines the street plan and current year for rework.

The presentation used in the Town Council meeting Jan 30 can be found here

• https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-dpw-water-presentation.html

My notes from the meeting can be found here
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/02/town-council-jan-30-2019-recap.html

DPW Director Cantoreggi and Water Superintendent Laurie Ruszala
presenting to the Town Council Jan 30

Town Council - Jan 30, 2019 - Recap

Swearing In

One of the nice points to open the Town Council meeting was the swearing in of two new Deputy Chiefs for the Fire Dept: James Klich, Joseph Barbieri. This was anticipated from the announcement at the Finance Committee meeting held at the Senior Center a couple of weeks ago.

Assistant Town Clerk Nancy Danelo (in blue) swearing in the new Deputy chiefs

Road acceptances

The Town council then opened several public hearings to formal discuss the acceptance of several roads that are currently not owned by the Town. This is minimal risk for the residents. When the town accepts the roads, then the maintenance and repairs are covered by the town. For some reason in the past, the developer never completed the paperwork to turn over the roads. 

This has been a slow and tedious process as Franklin works slowly eliminating the backlog left by various developers. The town will do plowing and potholes but if road needs to be rebuilt, it is not done unless the town owns the road.

There was a correction of "Carter" to 'Canter" way. it is correct in the actual resolution, only the agenda listing was incorrect.

The Council adjusted the agenda to vote on the road acceptances and let the residents leave the meeting early.

Water Works

Next up was the DPW and their presentation on the overall water supply and plans for the next round of improvements. As you may recall the road rebuilds are coordinated with physical road requirements as well as the water pipe and sewer considerations. Page 17 shows the current plan road by road over the next several years.

Also discussed was the water treatment facility for wells 3 and 6. Related to water is sewer and the major expense coming will be the replacement of the Beaver St connector which is over 100 years old.

Water Presentation - Jan 30, 2019 from Franklin Matters

Capital budget

The Town  Council then got to the financial business of approving the use of $2.2M of the free cash along with allocations from the water and sewer funds to meet the total of $4.5M of capital requirements.  The Finance Committee had already heard the details from each of the departments on their requests. The recordings of both meetings were share here earlier.

Additional transactions to allocate some of the free cash to make the annual deposits on the field turf replacements, the Fire truck replacement, and the contribution to OPEB funding.

Town Council Actions Taken
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/town_council_actions_taken_for_january_30_2019_1.pdf


My notes reported live during the meeting:

• Live reporting: Adminstrator's Report to Closing
• https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-adminstrators-report-to_30.html
• Live reporting: Legislation - zoning bylaws
• https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-legislation-zoning-bylaws.html
• Live Reporting: Legislation for action - Capital ...
• https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-legislation-for-action_30.html
• Live reporting: DPW water presentation
• https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-dpw-water-presentation.html
• Live reporting: Legislation for roadway acceptance...
• https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-legislation-for-roadway.html
• Live reporting: Public Hearings
• https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-public-hearings.html
• Live reporting: Town Council - Jan 30, 2019
• https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/live-reporting-town-council-jan-30-2019.html