Officials give supply numbers, explain leak detection and notifications as residents press fire‑safety and enforcement questions

During the forum residents repeatedly asked for clear supply figures and whether current tank levels jeopardize firefighting capacity.

Water superintendent Bill Young said recent 30‑day demand averaged roughly 1.5 to 1.7 million gallons per day (gpd); he said supply including the Middleborough interconnection has been about 1.5 to 1.6 million gpd and that without Middleborough the town’s supply is roughly 1.2 million gpd. Officials said deliveries from Middleborough fluctuate with Middleborough’s own demand, and that deliveries have ranged up to about 350,000 gpd on high days.

Staff addressed operational concerns: recent pressure testing found and led crews to repair a distribution leak; 10B can be turned on if needed but staff prioritized completing filtration to avoid discolored-water complaints. The DPW/water team described leak-detection practices (water‑scope monitoring, police/fire calls for main breaks, targeted inspections) and said they send letters and escalate to fines for repeat sprinkler violations.

Residents asked whether low tank levels would impact firefighting. Officials said they had monitored tanks closely and coordinated with the fire chief; they also noted the tanker task force and mutual‑aid arrangements as contingency measures. Staff declined to name the fire chief on the record at the forum and instead described the existing coordination plan for public safety.

On public information, staff asked residents to sign up for the town dashboard and reverse‑311/notification services; they pledged to update the dashboard immediately if any change to drinking‑water advisories were required and to use direct notifications as required by MassDEP.

Next steps: continue leak detection and repairs, complete pressure tests and remaining fixes, maintain sprinkler‑patrol enforcement and publish clearer procedures about water‑impact approvals on the dashboard.