The Department of Public Works would like residents to know the following procedural changes that the department has implemented to provide safe working conditions for both our staff and residents through the Town of Maynard in regards to the current COVID-19 situation affecting all.

All scheduled water or sewer house calls regarding anything outside of an emergency "public health or safety" will be postponed for a later date.

We ask that all residents respect the safety of public employees and do not approach them while working, this will provide our employees a safe distance regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This includes our solid waste vendor, EL Harvey. If residents have concerns, we ask that they contact the department by phone 978-897-1317 or through email.

During this time when more and more residents will be staying indoor and confined to their houses, we would like to remind all residents to dispose of cleaning wipes, and baby wipes accordingly. The COVID-19 virus can be transmitted through human effluent "sewage". Our staff will have to deal with issues if residents start flushing restricted materials down the drain. Please be considerate of all public servants in this time, it is vital to continue to operate essential functions such as sanitation and water/sewer treatment.

Disposable does not mean flushable.

The Maynard Water and Sewer Division encourages you to minimize the use of disposable wipes and to discard used wipes in the trash rather than flushing them.

For more information please download this short information packet (PDF).

Please visit the Water and Sewer Discounts page for details on qualifying for a Senior Discount.

If you wish to apply for an abatement you can obtain forms from the Town Assessor's Office. 

FY24 CURRENT RATES  

New Water/Sewer Rate Information

Starting FY24, July 1, 2023 there will be new rates.  Please view all links below for detailed information.

Attested copy of vote for water sewer rates

Memo regarding rate change FY24 (July 1, 2023)

Water Sewer Publication for Rate Change FY24 (July 1, 2023)

Water Sewer Rate Q & A

Rate Presentation

• Water and Sewer Utility Rate FAQ (January 2022) (PDF)
• DPW Memo to Select Board on FY23 Water Rate Adjustment (January 2022)

These rates are effective with the billing cycle of July 1, 2022. For additional information please call the Maynard Department of Public Works at 978-897-1317.

Rate Planning

Here are DPW's water and sewer utility rate recommendations presented to the Select Board on January 5, 2021. These rate recommendations are reflection of the department's capital improvement plan as well as the water capacity study.

• FY2022 Water/Sewer Rates Presentation to Select Board (5-Jan-2021) (PDF)
• FY2022 Water/Sewer Rate Background Memo (3-Feb-2021) (PDF)
• Setting Water Rates (from Massachusetts DER/DCR) (PDF)
• Water and Sewer Rate Questions and Answers (3-Feb-2021) (PDF)

Resource Conditions & Capacity Planning

Water resource conditions and future use analysis:

• Water Supply and Demand Presentation (14-Jan-2020) (PDF)
• White Pond Study Report (31-Jul-2019) (PDF)
• Water Capacity Memo (7-Jan-2020) (PDF)

Understanding Water Resources

Understanding your water resource, a few guides for residents to better understand the process that goes into supplying the residents of Maynard with clean drinking water.

• Aquifers and Groundwater (USGS Water Science School)

Drought conditions and other factors may require water conservation restrictions to be enacted. Visit our Water Restrictions page to learn about restrictions and the current status of our water supply.

Periodically the DPW will flush fire hydrants town-wide. This process helps maintain water quality and clarity by removing sediments in the system. It also provides information about flows and pressures which help with maintenance.

Learn more about our Hydrant Flushing and Maintenance program.

October 2019: This summer, the MA Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency sampled Maynard drinking water wells to test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of man-made chemicals that include PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. The federal limit of these chemicals in drinking water is 70 Parts Per Trillion (PPT). The MA Department of Environmental Protection is considering decreasing the limit in Massachusetts to 20 PPT.

Results of the Maynard sampling ranged from 4.1 to 9.4 PPT, significantly below the federal limit, and the proposed state limit. Based on these results, the Town Administrator's Office agrees with the town's water engineering firm Stantec, that PFAS/PFOA at the current drinking water sources is not a concern at this time.

November 2019: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued a Notice of Responsibility to the Department of Fire Services (DFS) on October 24th, 2019 citing levels of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) detected in water in White Pond and the DFS grounds.

PFAS is a common chemical, and specifically found in fire suppression materials, namely AFFF foam. DFS no longer uses materials containing PFAS in their fire training.

DFS hired GZA as a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) to investigate the origins of the contamination, the scope of the contamination, and the possible migration of the contamination.

White Pond is not a current water source for the Town of Maynard, however the Town does retain rights to utilize this source.

To obtain details on this investigation and findings:

1. Click here to access the MassDEP website
2. Under the Release Tracking Number (RTN), select "2" for the region and enter "0021045" for the tracking id
3. Click on the Search button.

The Maynard Water Department is committed to providing our customers with water that meets or surpasses all state and federal drinking water standards. The Maynard water system is a registered public water supply with IDNumber 2174000. 

To ensure that we continue to deliver this quality product, the Water Division continues to make investments in water quality monitoring, water source protection, water mains, and the water treatment plants. We are pleased to report the results of our 2022 water testing to inform you about your drinking water. We provide the public a report each year with information about annual water quality.

View the 2022 Water Quality Report

Past Reports

• 2021 Water Quality Report (PDF)
• 2020 Water Quality Report (PDF)
• 2019 Water Quality Report (PDF)
• 2018 Water Quality Report (PDF)
• 2017 Water Quality Report (PDF)
• 2016 Water Quality Report (PDF)
• 2015 Water Quality Report (PDF)
• 2014 Water Quality Report (PDF)
• 2013 Water Quality Report (PDF)

Water Resources Report

Visit the 2011 Water Resources Report page for more information. 

Rate Planning

Here are DPW's water and sewer utility rate recommendations presented to the Select Board on February 4th 2020. These rate recommendations are reflection of the department's capital improvement plan as well as the water capacity study.

• Water Rate Adjustment (1-Feb-2020) (PDF)
• Water/Sewer Rate Summary of Findings (3-Feb-2020) (PDF)
• Water and Sewer Continuous Improvement Plan (27-Nov-2019) (PDF)
• Setting Water Rates (from Massachusetts DER/DCR) (PDF)

Resource Conditions & Capacity Planning

Current water resource conditions and future use analysis:

• Water Supply and Demand Presentation (14-Jan-2020) (PDF)
• White Pond Study Report (31-Jul-2019) (PDF)
• Water Capacity Memo (7-Jan-2020) (PDF)

• Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Notifications
• Water Supply Presentation (presented to the Select Board on 5-Feb-2019) (PDF)
• Water Resources Toolkit: Library of Outreach Materials
• Maynard Water Rules and Regulations (updated November 2018) (PDF)
• Maynard Sewer Rules and Regulations (November 2018) (PDF)
• Water Meter Installation Policy (for installing a DEDUCT meter, updated June 2020)
• Excavator List (contractors who have recently done line work to DPW satisfaction, updated July 2021) (PDF)
• Abatement Request Form (PDF)

The Department of Public Works through its Water and Sewer Division has the responsibility to review the Enterprise Funding Account and sustainability to provide necessary funding for the yearly operation of both water and sewer, as well as capital improvements to water and sewer infrastructure. The department is responsible to provide clean drinking water and sanitary sewer discharge for the town.

 The Select Board in their capacity as the towns water and sewer commissioners approved the 2023 rates during a public hearing.

Please see above links for detailed information regarding the new rates.

Maynard DPW-Water Division had found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes/buildings during the 3rd quarter monitoring period, June - September 2022. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Please read the brochure below closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water. Maynard's sampling results had a 90th percentile result of 16 parts per billion (ppb), which is above the lead Action Level of 15ppb.

US EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) require public water systems that exceed the lead action level to provide this notification to consumers. Lead is a health concern and is commonly found in the environment; most commonly in lead based paint. Lead can also be found in water, though at much lower levels.

View the Lead in Drinking Water Brochure (PDF).

LCRR Inventory Project Self-Identification

Please be advised that an instruction mailer will be going out to Maynard residents regarding an upcoming town wide water service line review. Maynard Water Department is conducting this review to stay in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. We will be collecting data on the age of homes, water mains, and service lines in this water service inventory project. The mail notice will include detailed instructions for self-reporting information to assist the Town in this effort. It will also include information for scheduling a service line identification appointment. Thank you for your participation and supporting our Town and the community.

Service Line Identification Information with QR Codes

Service Line Inventory Identification QR

Lead Service Line Identification Link

Mass Lead Service Line Identification