Charles River Water Quality Grades - per report card for 2023

Charles River Water Quality Grades

Charles River Water Quality Grades

Every year Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) works with the U.S. EPA to issue the Charles River Report Card to report on the recreational health of the Charles River. 

CRWA recently released the 2023 Water Quality Report Card grades for the Charles River in September, which showed a slight decrease from the last year. 

It was a wet year, and due to increased rainfall, CRWA observed a rise in stormwater pollution and combined sewer overflows. No section to the Charles River showed an improved grade from 2022. (Why are you hearing about 2023 now? Because the grades are based on water quality samples from 2021, 2022, and 2023.) 

These grades show that water quality is worse in areas with more development, paved surfaces, and impervious cover. Less developed, more green spaces boast better quality, with plants and soil acting as filters, cleaning the water of pollutants. 

This emphasizes the importance of wetlands, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions in nourishing a healthy river. Want to learn more about how you can help foster a healthy, biodiverse landscape or mitigate stormwater pollution on your property? Contact the Conservation Department today! 

Explore the Report Card StoryMap, which provides information on the watershed, how the grades are calculated, and what we expect to see as a result of climate change here

Translated 2023 Report Card Grades Map versions are available in Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Spanish.

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/conservation/news/charles-river-water-quality-grades

Town of Franklin: 2023 Drinking Water Quality Report available

Dear Franklin Water User,
 
The 2023 Drinking Water Quality Report is now available on the website, and will be in your mailbox in the next couple of weeks. To view now, visit: https://www.franklinma.gov/2023-ccr
 
Thanks for caring about your water use and being a WaterSmart user,

Doug Martin
Franklin Water & Sewer Department

 

 

equipment at the Grove St water treatment plant

 

FHS Unified Track Team qualify for the Division 1 State Meet

" …and that’s a wrap! Our Unified Track Team made it to the Div 1 State Finals!  

Congratulations to Seekonk on their Div 1 Championship!  

And Congratulations Panthers on an OUTSTANDING season!!!

@fhs_unified

@FranklinUnified

@SpOlympicsMA"

Shared from Twitter -> https://twitter.com/FHSSports/status/1529550215337979912

FHS Unified Track Team qualify for the Division 1 State Meet

FM #540 - Virtual Person On Street - Brian Brannan - 05/03/21 (audio)

FM #540 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 540 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Brian Brannan. My first “person on the street” interview. Although we did do this via a virtual conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

Brian and I get to know each other as we explore his work, Quality Assurance testing for Terrible Posture Games. Yes, this was a fun adventure. You will likely learn a thing or two. I did. Especially on how ‘gamer’ is not a good term to use these days.

The recording runs about 32 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Brian

Audio file =>  https://player.captivate.fm/episode/f8ae6e9c-e605-4f2f-a297-02711863c962

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Brian’s LinkedIn profile =  https://www.linkedin.com/in/xevo1979/ 

3 out of 10 = https://www.terribleposture.com/3-out-of-10/ 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm). 

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

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
• If you don't like something here, please let me know

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

For additional information, please visit   Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news/

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 or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

 

Brian’s LinkedIn profile photo

Tri-County RVTHS Takes Extraordinary Steps for Fresh Air

 Tri-County will be the areas first school to complete installation of an upgraded HVAC System that includes UV lights in ducts

 

Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School's facilities department and HVAC Contractors have recently finished upgrading and replacing the school's central HVAC Systems, classroom and building VAV boxes, and unit heaters throughout the facility. New control valves and thermostats have been installed and tied into the new building control/management system to ensure the facility's equipment's proper operation.

This upgrade/replacement will improve building comfort by balancing the system and will address the building's indoor air quality (IAQ) and will help maximize the system's cubic feet per minute (CFM) output. The new energy management system allows the equipment to precisely control the flow of fresh air being brought into the building. The new units can bring in 100% outside air, which will enable us to dilute the indoor air with fresh air and dramatically increase overall IAQ. 

 

The new control system allows fresh air to be brought in hours before the building will be occupied for the day. Classrooms will see a minimum of six air exchanges per hour. The air will now be scrubbed by two filtration racks equipped with high-efficiency air filters (rated at MERV 13 and higher) with a total filter thickness of 14" instead of the single rack 4" filter equipped in the old system. Tri-County's Facilities Department will be able to control the exhaust fans in the building and enable them to remove more air from the building and maintain a constant air exchange throughout the facility.

The next step in the process is to install UV Commercial lights in the HVAC ducts. UV lights kill toxins in the handler, which include: mold, bacteria, and other germs.

"We are excited to put this technology in place to help mitigate the threat of airborne germs." says Harry Takesian, Director of Facilities Management

 

 

Tri-County RVTHS Takes Extraordinary Steps for Fresh Air

Pantherbook: "Toxic Turf at Beaver Pond?"

Via Pantherbook:

"Have you ever played on the field at Beaver Pond in Franklin, MA? Many kids have. Little do they know, discarded turf from the field has been decomposing in the pond’s wetlands for over two years."

Continue reading the Pantherbook article online
https://franklinpanthers.us/top-stories/2019/12/11/toxic-turf-at-beaver-pond/

The Pantherbook posting was prescient as the Boston Globe published this:

"Amid growing concerns about toxic chemicals in the water supply, state regulators Friday announced significant new limits on the human-made compounds in drinking water and approved new requirements ordering polluters to clean up contaminated soil and ground water. 

The long-awaited rules come as environmental officials acknowledge that the per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known as PFAS, have been found in a growing number of communities across the state. 

The chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, low infant birth weights, and a range of diseases, have been found so far in 28 of 37 municipal water systems that have provided test results to the state Department of Environmental Protection, officials said this week. Of those, 12 found that the amounts exceed the proposed standards for drinking water."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/12/13/massachusetts-issues-new-standards-for-forever-chemicals-water-supply/dz25i9Sk92QfiDl5TeSJFL/story.html

And as an update to the previously shared listing on the "turf issue":

What we know:

• The prior conversations around the field replacements (completed in 2017) were centered around the crumb rubber infill. The Town spent more for an acrylic coated infill (which apparently was installed), the issue now is NOT with the infill but the with chemicals used to treat the carpet itself.
• A third party filed a complaint with DEP about the old turf stored at the Beaver St fields
• Article in TheIntercept about PFAS found in the turf itself  https://theintercept.com/2019/10/08/pfas-chemicals-artificial-turf-soccer/
• Article in the Boston Globe alleging potential issues with the water supply and shared via Franklin Matters  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/10/we-will-work-with-dep-to-resolve-matter.html
• The Franklin community on Facebook reacts in the conversation around the article and issue
• Town Administrator Jamie Hellen makes statement at Town Council meeting 10/16/19 https://drive.google.com/open?id=14VSvuZvTifTbeHO4bWFtIy2YxVdjRF4O
• Updated 12/5/19 - Town Administrator Jamie Hellen makes statement at Town Council meeting 12/4/19 referring to the DEP letter https://drive.google.com/file/d/15WMp_zZiMXs_7MfpUQJd5hgtaVbrlkY_/view?usp=sharing
• Updated 12/13/19 - While PFAS in the water supply was tested by Town of Franklin once in 2018, is PFAS still being tested by ToF now? No, nor are they required to do so (although as the final testing standards issued 12/27/19 are evaluated, this may change).
• Updated 12/13/19 - What will the State do with PFAS and the recent revelations (if anything)? The State just issued new testing standards to be finalized by 12/27/19  https://www.mass.gov/lists/preview-of-the-final-pfas-related-revisions-to-the-mcp-2019

What we don’t know:

• What happened to the Conservation Commission mitigation measures from when the field was first installed (in 2004?)?
• Where was the old carpet and bags of unused infill taken?
• What will the Federal agencies do with PFAS and the recent revelations (if anything)?

bags of the acrylic coated infill ready for install at FHS in August 2017

new turf carpet being installed at Beaver St field in August 2017

Public Health Advisory: Private drinking water wells

Mass DEP/USGS Arsenic and Uranium Bedrock Well Study, Public Health Advisory


The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Drinking Water Program released the results of a U.S. Geological Survey study regarding arsenic and uranium in private drinking water wells in Massachusetts on March 21, 2011.


The study suggests that naturally occurring arsenic and uranium levels in some private drinking water wells in Franklin may exceed recommended levels. Mass DEP has developed a comprehensive website to provide town residents with information regarding the details of the study, the resources for determining if one’s well may be impacted, as well as information on well testing and mitigation procedures.


At the current time, only private drinking water wells in a small area of southwest Franklin have been determined to be suspect based on maps provided by Mass DEP.


The Franklin Health Department urges residents in the suspect areas to carefully review all information on the Mass DEP website, and to have their drinking water wells tested and treated as necessary.


Residents who are served by the town’s public drinking water wells are not affected by this advisory.


Important Contacts:


For questions regarding the US Geological Survey report contact John Colman at USGS at (508)-490-5027.


For questions regarding health effects of arsenic and uranium contact Massachusetts Department of Public Health at (617)-624-5757 or (800)-240-4266.


For questions regarding arsenic mitigation contact Joe Cerutti, Mass DEP at (617) 292-5859.


For questions regarding uranium mitigation contact Steve Hallem, Mass DEP at (617)-292-5681.


You may also contact the Franklin Health Department at (508)-520-4905.


http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/drinking/au/aulocate.htm



Franklin, MA

"It's much bigger than the schools"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jun 02, 2008 @ 10:29 PM

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FRANKLIN —

A trio of mothers is mobilizing forces to get the $2.8 million Proposition 2 1/2 tax override question passed on June 10 to preserve teachers, academic programs and the late bus in Franklin schools.

Moms Janice Foley, Kaitlyn Cronin and Sarah Loiars have filed Invest in Franklin as a political action group to educate people about the override and convince as many residents as possible to vote, Foley said.

Initially, the mothers had no intention of starting a political action group, Cronin said, but quickly decided to form Invest in Franklin after learning more about town and school finances.

They had attended a Town Council meeting in May simply as interested parents to find out why the school budget was going to be reduced, Cronin said.

They assumed there had to be more money somewhere in the budget that could be allotted to schools, she said.

"We wanted to find out what was happening. ... The more we listened to the presentation, the more we could see the money just wasn't there," said Cronin. "They kind of obviously needed an override. The amount of money they had to spend wasn't as high as other towns in the area. What really blew us away was Steve Whalen's presentation, when he compared Franklin to other towns," she said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here