Beginning Monday, April 24 and continuing into the first week of May, the Shrewsbury Water Department will be conducting water main flushing in the Boylston and Prospect Street areas from the center of Town; up to and including Hill Street. This work will include all side streets and adjacent areas. Flushing will occur daily between the hours of 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday. This scheduled routine maintenance involves the opening of fire hydrants and valves to remove sediment and other material buildups within the system. System flushing is part of our comprehensive maintenance program and critical to maintaining water quality and water main flow capacity. In the past week, the Main St. corridor between Old Mill Rd. and South St. along with corresponding intersecting streets have been completed with good results. This is a continuation of this work extending northerly.
This work may cause discolored water in the vicinity of the system flushing. Areas north of this direct area may also temporarily experience extremely low pressure or loss of water service. The areas most likely to see these effects are the upper sections of Colonial Drive, Rawson Hill Drive, Deerfield Road and Wachusett Avenue. This is a complicated area to work in, which will involve feed line turnoffs and various switchovers to supply service. We will do our best to minimize any disruptions for our customers.
We are asking residents to refrain from water related activities such as food preparation or laundry during the maintenance hours. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact streets that will be affected on any given day. The Water Department will try to isolate areas where we are working, but sediment may extend past the intended area due to the nature of the work. This schedule is subject to change as weather conditions and the length of time to flush certain sections of main may vary. Please monitor our website for more detailed information.
If you experience discolored water outside the maintenance hours, please run the water in your home until it clears. Time will vary to restore water clarity. Please note, it is highly recommended to do this from an outside faucet closest to your service entrance, or a cold-water tap in a first-floor bathtub. This should help keep sediment out of your hot water system or other plumbing fixtures.
If your water does not clear, or if you have concerns regarding the flushing programs, please call the Water Department at 508-841-8506 between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. For after hour problems regarding the water main flushing, please call the Fire Department information line at (508) 841-8522.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we work to protect our water quality.