Water and Sewer

The Water and Sewer Division is responsible for ensuring that the town’s water supply meets or exceeds all EPA and DEP guidelines for safe drinking water and that all wastewater is collected and delivered to the wastewater treatment plant.

The town uses approximately 0.86 Million Gallons of water each day.  In 2016 the town pumped 284 Million Gallons through our water treatment facilities (average daily use 0.8 million gallons)

Rules and regulations regarding the use of the town’s water and sewer facilities are available in the Resources section below.

Read about how COVID-19 is affecting DPW Water & Sewer operations.

Read about the 2020 Water & Sewer Rate Increase

 

Water & Sewer Inquiries

  • Billing Issues
  • Appointment Scheduling
  • Final Read Request
Waste Water Treatment Plant

Contact

Tel: 978-897-1317  (available during normal Town Hall business hours)
Email: dpw@townofmaynard.net

Water/Sewer Bills Notice

The water/sewer bills are not be mailed with your tax bills, but are mailed separately four times a year. If you don’t receive a bill or you think there may be an error, please contact our office and we will take appropriate action to correct the issues.

Water & Sewer Emergencies

For any emergencies during normal business hours please call 978-897-1317.  Outside of normal hours please call the Police Department at 978-897-1011.

 

COVID-19-related Procedures and Notices

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, E.L Harvey. If residents have concerns, we ask that they contact the department by phone 978-897-1317 or through email at dpw@townofmaynard.net

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.

Help Prevent Sewer Clogs and Back Ups

Disposable does not mean flushable.  Please read more about how to prevent sewer clogs further down this page.

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.

 

Abatements and Senior Discounts

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

If you wish to apply for an abatement you can download the form below or contact the DPW office:

 

Water/Sewer Rates (effective until July 1, 2021)

IN TOWN
Water Consumption Rate Sewer Use Rate
Base Charge ** $22.00 Base Charge ** $50.00
0 – 500 CF $2.78 1 – 500 CF $5.78
501 – 1000 CF $7.11 501 – 1000 CF $11.13
1001 – 2500 CF $7.72

1001-2500 CF

 $11.13
Over 2500 CF $8.88 Over 2500 CF $13.65
OUT OF TOWN
Water Consumption Rate Sewer Use Rate
Base Charge ** $33.00 Base Charge ** $73.75
0 – 500 CF $3.89 1 – 500 CF $8.09
501 – 1000 CF $9.96 501 – 1000 CF $15.58
1001 – 2500 CF $10.81 1001-2500 CF $15.58
Over 2500 CF $12.43 Over 2500 CF $19.11

** Base Charge includes 0 CF (cubic feet)
NOTE: Terminology amended from original Legal Notice which used “Minimum Charge” (3-Jan-2018)

These rates became effective with the billing cycle of July 1, 2020  For additional information please call the Maynard Department of Public Works at 978-897-1317.

 

2021 Water & Sewer Rate Increase

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 planning process for reviewing the water and sewer rates began within the DPW in June 2020.  (See the Water Resources and Rate Planning section below.) The initial rate recommendation was presented to the Select Board on January 5, 2021.  A public hearing on the rates was held on February 2, 2021 at 8pm.

Please read the supporting documents below for details on the rate increase and how it will be applied to Maynard’s water and sewer infrastructure.

The Select Board in their capacity as the towns water and sewer commissioners approved the following rates during a public hearing conducted on February 2, 2021.

The new water & sewer rates will be effective July 1, 2021 as follows:

IN TOWN
Water Consumption Rate Sewer Use Rate
Base Charge ** $25.00 Base Charge ** $50.00
0 – 500 CF $2.78 1 – 500 CF $5.95
501 – 1000 CF $7.34 501 – 1000 CF $11.46
1001 – 2500 CF $7.97

1001-2500 CF

 $11.46
Over 2500 CF $9.25 Over 2500 CF $14.06
OUT OF TOWN
Water Consumption Rate Sewer Use Rate
Base Charge ** $34.00 Base Charge ** $73.75
0 – 500 CF $3.89 1 – 500 CF $8.33
501 – 1000 CF $10.28 501 – 1000 CF $16.05
1001 – 2500 CF $11.16 1001-2500 CF $16.05
Over 2500 CF $12.95 Over 2500 CF $19.68

** Base Charge includes 0 CF (cubic feet)

 

Water Resources and Rate Planning

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.

Resource Conditions and Capacity Planning

Water resource conditions and future use analysis:

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.

 

Droughts and Water Restrictions

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.

 

Help Prevent Sewer Clogs and Back Ups

A baby wipe after it has been flushed, gone through the collection system, and pulled from a pump station.Disposable does not mean flushable.  Cleaning wipes, baby wipes, and other moist towelettes that are described as ‘flushable’ do not dissolve, but they do accumulate in our sewer system causing clogs and back ups.

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.

Don't flush: Disposable Wipes, Dental Floss, Paper Towels, Feminine Products, Cotton Balls, Bandages, Syringes or Needles, Gum Do Flush: Toilet Paper, Human Waste, Pet Waste

For more information please download this short information packet.

 

Hydrant Flushing

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.

 

Water Quality Report

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 ID#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 2019 water testing to inform you about your drinking water. We provide the public a report each year with information about annual water quality.

Download the 2019 Water Quality Report.

Past Reports:

 

Water Resources Report

Click here for information on the 2011 Water Resources Report.

 

2019 Drinking Water Source Sampling

Oct 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.

Nov 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.
 

2020 Water Resources and Rate Planning

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.

Resource Conditions and Capacity Planning

Current water resource conditions and future use analysis:

 

Resources