DEP Letter - North Carver Water Notice
The North Carver Water District’s treatment failed and was producing water with manganese levels above the Massachusetts Office of Research and Standards’ Guideline Level of 0.3 mg/l. Carver distributed a Do Not Drink public notice at the public meeting conducted at the Carver Select Board office on June 23, 2022. Later that evening, North Carver Water District shut off its water plant and activated the Middleborough interconnection.
The North Carver Water District is now delivering Middleborough water to all of its customers. The North Carver distribution system was flushed last evening (6/23/2022) with Middleborough water. Your household plumbing may still have some sediment and you should flush your plumbing until it runs clear. The North Carver water operators collected a manganese sample from the distribution system on June 24, 2022 and preliminary laboratory results show the manganese level is well below 0.3 mg/l (preliminary result is 0.008 mg/l). MassDEP will be issuing North Carver a revised sampling schedule reflecting the Middleborough water source. All water systems are required to routinely monitor the water for a variety of contaminants to ensure safe drinking water.
Guidance on flushing your plumbing system is available on MassDEP’s website: https://www.mass.gov/doc/massdep-building-flushing-information/download
Note that a comment was made at the Select Board meeting that three (3) rounds of sampling would be required in order to lift the Do Not Drink advisory. That comment was not accurate for this situation. First, that comment pertains to a biological contamination event, which this wasn’t. Second, the Do Not Drink advisory did not anticipate the rapid removal of the North Carver wells. We apologize for the confusion resulting from the rapid sequence of events.
Jim McLaughlin
Drinking Water Program Chief
MassDEP-SERO
20 Riverside Drive
Lakeville, MA 02347
508-946-2805
Robert Fennessy
Town Administrator
Town of Carver, MA
108 Main St.
Carver, MA 02330
508.866.3401
Deborah A. Trumbull
Small Water Systems Services, LLC
978-486-1008