By Carol Britton Meyer

ALL NON-ESSENTIAL OUTSIDE WATER USAGE IS PROHIBITED DURING A LEVEL 2 WATER RESTRICTION.

The Weir River Water System and Veolia, which operates the water company, said this week that they were prepared for the busy Fourth of July holiday and the expected additional usage following the widespread water discoloration that began on Juneteenth and continued for several days.

Staff was at heightened readiness during the holiday, Veolia Regional Vice President John Oatley told the board of water commissioners (the Hingham select board) at its July 2 meeting.

“Everything has settled down,” said WRWS Managing Director Russell Tierney. “Things are getting back to where they should be. Water usage is down a little bit but will ramp up with the holiday coming.”

Customers are asked to abide by the current Level 2 prohibition on outside watering through July 4 and to continue conservation efforts as a matter of course, even when a watering ban is not officially in place.

WRWS serves customers in Hingham, Hull, and North Cohasset. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection rated the discoloration event a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the worst-case scenario, according to Tierney.

“We will provide MassDEP with the information they requested,” he said. “We need to do a report and provide a checklist to be sure everything is covered.”

Abatement requests accepted

In response to customer inquiries, abatement requests related to the duration of the water discoloration event are being accepted through a link on the WRWS website: https://www.weirriverwater.org/987/Contact-Us.

Oatley said a draft report with the findings and historical water system information is expected to be ready by July 25.

“It’s an ongoing investigation,” he said.

Contributing factors to recent events included the extreme heat leading to increased demand for water on June 19; the fact that many people were at home since it was a holiday — causing higher water usage; a break in a 76-year-old Leavitt Street water main between Main and Short streets in Hingham Center; the need for additional system maintenance and infrastructure upgrades; the need for better communication; as well as other factors “unknown at this time.”

Immediate actions in response to the water discoloration — to help prevent repeats and to enhance customer communication — include adjusting the tank monitoring alarm set points and the timing and range of the tank recharge; updating the WRWS emergency response plan; improving community outreach; and the development of an enhanced flushing program that is expected to start around October.

“We are also continuing to explore and implement effective infrastructure improvements,” Oatley said.

Communication improvements in the works

Christopher Halleron, manager of communications and community relations at Veolia, is working with media outlets and the three communities to update its contact list. Engaging in “test” messaging to encourage customer participation and to evaluate the responses is in the works, but not yet ready for prime time.

Water quality remains an ongoing concern among the water commissioners and customers. Testing of the distribution system takes place five times during the summer and regularly at the treatment plant. More information will be available.

Customers with water quality concerns are encouraged to email waterquality@weirriverwater.com.

Citizens Advisory Board Chair Steven Weiss noted that “a lot of lessons have been learned at this point and how to move forward.” The CAB will meet in advance of the release of the July 25 draft report “to discuss the communications piece. Part of the messaging has to relate to from whom the messages are coming – WRWS or Veolia.” The CAB is comprised of members from the three towns.

Hingham Select Board Chair Joseph Fisher said he was pleased that “steps are being taken to minimize risks on July 4, and we’re looking forward to receiving and reviewing the report.”

For customer service inquiries, contact the Weir River Water System/Veolia 24 hours per day at (877) 253-6665 or wrcs@veolia.com.