Facilities
The Auburn Water District pumps water from 12 wells located within the town of Auburn.
The water is blended within the distribution system and storage tanks so the consumer gets a mix of water provided by the wells.
Walsh Street Water Treatment Plant
Constructed in 1995, this plant utilizes three Greensand Plus filter vessels to remove arsenic, iron and manganese from Well #13 and Well #14. The filters are periodically backwashed to maintain their performance. The backwash water is sent to a settling lagoon next to the plant, where the supernatant flows to a discharge location and the settled solids are periodically removed by a licensed contractor. Chlorine gas is used for disinfection of the finish water, potassium hydroxide to elevate the pH and an orthophosphate is added for corrosion control.
Southbridge Street Court Water Treatment Plant
Constructed in 1995, this plant utilizes two Greensand Plus filter vessels to remove arsenic, iron and manganese from Well #6, Well #9 and Well #10. The filters are periodically backwashed to maintain their performance. The backwash water is sent to a settling lagoon next to the plant, where the supernatant flows to a discharge location and the settled solids are periodically removed by a licensed contractor. Chlorine gas is used for disinfection of the finish water, potassium hydroxide to elevate the pH and an orthophosphate is added for corrosion control.
West Street Water Treatment Plant
Constructed in 2007 and upgraded in 2015, this plant utilizes four Greensand Plus filter vessels to remove arsenic, iron and manganese from Well #11 and Well #12. After filtration, the raw water passes through an aeration tower for the removal of radon and to increase the pH of the water. Chlorine gas is used for disinfection of the finish water and an orthophosphate is added to corrosion control. The filters are periodically backwashed to maintain their performance. The backwash water is pumped into the sewer system for treatment at the Upper Blackstone Clean Water plant.
Well #1 Pumping Station
This well is located off Church Street and one of the District’s highest yielding wells. It is xx-foot deep gravel-packed well that can deliver up to 500 gallons per minute. This well water receives disinfection, pH adjustment and corrosion control prior to entering the distribution system. This pump station also has a pressure reducing valve (PRV) that allows water from the high-pressure side of the system to enter the low-pressure side. A second PRV exists in a buried vault on Washington Street.
Well #2 Pumping Station
This well is located off Church Street and is a deep gravel-packed well. The well is pumped and discharged to a drainage swale in an effort to minimize sodium intrusion to the adjacent Well #1.
Well #3 Pumping Station
This well is located off Church Street and is a deep gravel-packed well that can deliver up to 200 gallons per minute. This well water receives pH adjustment and corrosion control prior to entering the distribution system.
South Street Pumping Station
This pump station houses Well #8 and also receives water from Well #7, located several hundred feet to the south. Well #7 and Well #8 are both gravel-packed wells completed to a depth of 49 feet and 39 feet, respectively. The station can pump up to 400 gallons per minute. This well water receives disinfection, pH adjustment and corrosion control prior to entering the distribution system.
Storage Tanks
The District recently replaced all three of it’s aging storage tanks with four new glass-fused water storage tanks. Two 0.6 million gallon tanks are located off Leicester Street and two 1.0 million gallon tanks are located off Prospect Street.
Dams
The District owns three water bodies in Town, the Lower Stoneville Reservoir, the Upper Stoneville Reservoir and the Dark Brook Reservoir. These reservoirs were purchased in 2001 from the Massachusetts Electric Company who used them as a water source for cooling their since decommissioner power generation facility in Webster Square. The District does not use these reservoirs as a public water supply. The reservoirs have dams that must be inspected and maintained in accordance with State regulations.
