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Moderator outlines plan to avoid reactivating well 10B as Bridgewater nears treatment-plant milestones
Summary
Town officials said they will not reactivate well 10B except for public-safety needs and expect iron/manganese filtration to be completed in mid‑July and PFAS treatment by late summer; they cited an interconnection with Middleborough, a $2 million grant and multiple well redevelopments as part of the plan.
Moderator Justin (moderator label used because the speaker did not give a full name on the record) told residents the town is close to bringing a new treatment facility online that will filter iron, manganese and later PFAS, and that staff are working to avoid reactivating well 10B except in emergencies.
The moderator said the town established an interconnection with Middleborough in January to supplement supply and will request an extension in July. He told the forum that the iron-and-manganese filtration phase is expected to be completed by mid‑July and that the PFAS treatment phase is targeted for late summer (August–September).
Town staff emphasized why the steps matter. For years Bridgewater relied on a treated-but-unfiltered well known as 10B during high-demand periods; that practice produced discolored-water complaints when the well was activated. "I am going to do everything that I can … not to activate 10B," the moderator said, adding that the town would still activate the well if necessary for fire protection.
Bill Young, the water superintendent, gave operational context, including recent system work: redevelopments of wells 3, 5 and 6, maintenance on wells 5 and 8, and replacement of pumps on wells 5 and 9. Staff also described a flushing program intended to clear sediment and reduce discolored-water complaints.
Consultant Helen Gordon of Apex reviewed schedule and permitting implications: the town is prioritizing completing filtration on existing wells and has identified Vernon Street wells and other longer-term options as additional capacity projects, but those take years to permit and construct.
Officials said a $2 million grant has been secured to help offset Plymouth Street project costs; finance staff reported year‑to‑date water-fund expenditures of $2,486,422 and an overall budget for the iron/PFAS phase of roughly $6.1 million.
Residents pressed staff on whether drinking-water advisories would change if 10B were turned on. The moderator and staff said they would update the town dashboard and use reverse‑911, social media and MassDEP‑required notifications if any advisory were necessary.
The town framed the plan as staged: finish filtration, add 10A and filtered 10B to system capacity (staff estimate: adding roughly 500,000 gallons per day combined from those wells), pursue grants and explore alternative sources so the town can rest and rehabilitate other wells and lessen future reliance on emergency interconnections.
Next steps: staff will pursue the Middleborough extension, complete the iron/manganese filtration in mid‑July and the PFAS phase in late summer, continue flushing and well-redevelopment work, and report progress at upcoming council meetings and public forums.
