So far, so good. That’s the word from Department of Public Works Director Tim Kilhart on the status of coliform tests on well #5, one of the two wells that supply the town’s public drinking water. The well was super-chlorinated last month, a process that involves applying high doses of chlorine. Tests run since that time have come up negative for the stubborn bacteria.
Kilhart said if negative test results continue, he expects the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will allow the well to be put back into service sometime in December. In the meantime, he said, well #2 continues to meet the demands of town water users, including the schools.
Well #5 tested positive for coliform during routine monthly tests in July and August 2019, and was taken offline in August. Various attempts to solve the problem did not work, but the recent super-chlorination has kept the bacteria at bay so far. Kilhart said the DEP currently requires weekly tests, and he believes it will soon rule that well #5 can be put back in service. He added that the Thanksgiving holiday will cause a slight delay because labs will be closed.
Last month, Special Town Meeting passed an article to spend $42,000 on the design of a full-time chlorination system for town water. Kilhart said he will soon be reaching out to Tighe and Bond, the engineering firm that provided the quote, to reach an agreement for the design only. The firm’s quote included the cost of preparing bid documents, acquiring permits, and overseeing construction, work that would not be immediately necessary if well #5 can be brought back online. Having the design done will ensure the town is ready if any further problems with the wells arise.
If well #5 cannot be put back into service, the town would proceed with the full-time chlorination project, likely asking for funding sometime next year. Kilhart said Harvard is one of the few towns in Massachusetts that uses “raw water,” or water that is not chlorinated, and he believes it is only a matter of time before the DEP will require full-time chlorination.
