Water Reports and Presentations

Glass of Water

Reports

All reports and results are viewable as Adobe Acrobat PDF documents.

Treatment Plant Data

The tables below summarize the finish water quality from the Town's water treatment plants.  Iron should be less than 0.3 mg/l, manganese less than 0.05 mg/l, color less than 15 color units.  Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water.

Water Consumer Confidence Reports

The Department of Public Works is proactive in its quest to provide the highest quality of water possible. View our water quality reports and test results by following the links listed below:

Presentations

Resources

Disinfection Byproducts

The Town is currently working to reduce disinfection byproducts which form when chlorine in the water reacts over time with residual organic material that is also in the water.  We are currently in violation of Federal standards for total trihalomethanes (TTHM's) at one site in North Hanover.    

Learn more about disinfection byproducts and what we are doing to try to reduce them in the town's water system

Iron and Manganese

Iron and manganese are commonly found in groundwater in Massachusetts.  While the tratment plants do an excellent job removing the minerals, 1-2 percent of the iron and manganese typically pass through the plants.  Both minerals will react with chlorine to form oxides of the minerals and will typically settle out in the water distribution system.  During periods of higher flow such as a water break, during a fire, or when the summer consumption increases and flows increase in the pipes, the sediments can be lifted off of the bottom of the pipes and will discolor the water.  This discoloration is generally an aesthetic problem, causing staining on laundry and on plumbing fixtures.  To control the sediments and reduce the likelihood of problems, the Town flushes water mains in the spring and in the fall.   

Some scientific studies have shown that manganese in high concentrations can have health effects.  The normal concentration of manganese in Hanover's water is typically 1/10th of the health advisory level.  The primary source of manganese intake in humans is from regular foods and as such manganese intake from the water is insignificant for most people.  However, infants often receive the bulk of their manganese nutrition through baby formula, not solid food.  As such, the EPA has issued a health advisory for excessive water based manganese when high levels of manganese in water it is used to make baby formula.  View the EPA Health Advisory on Manganese.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has developed an excellent fact sheet on manganese in drinking water which summarizes the information provided in the EPA health advisory in simple terms.  View the MassDEP Manganese Fact Sheet.

The Town urges residents to use common sense with respect to discolored water.  We recommend that residents run their faucets which will generally clear up the discolored water.  If the discoloration persists, please call the DPW office and we will investigate the source of the problem and weather permitting, will attempt to mitigate the issue.  We urge residents who may have concerns regarding manganese to read the MassDEP Fact Sheet and the EPA Health Advisory and to discuss their concerns with their health care provider.

Additional Information and Resources