The Topsfield Water Department has  implemented a Voluntary Outdoor Water Use Restriction effective May 10, 2013 due to low Ipswich River stream flow.

All town residents and businesses are asked to curtail nonessential outdoor water use between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. each day. In addition to curtailing outdoor use the Water Department encourages the following conservation measures:

• Run your dishwasher and clothes washer only when full.
• Fix any leaks around the house.
• Install water efficient toilets, faucets and shower heads.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator, rather than running the faucet.
• Consider replacing water intensive lawns with a xeriscape (low water demand) flower garden.

The voluntary restriction will be in place until further notice.

We will flush the water mains using a selected group of hydrants. Crews are scheduled to work between 9 P.M. and 1 A.M. on weeknights unless otherwise noted.

Below is the work schedule including the streets that will be flushed and streets that we expect to have discolored water. The schedule is subject to change based on weather, sediment loads and crew availablity.  It will be updated on a daily basis. We have made several changes to the flushing process and schedule to help make sediment removal more efficient.

Only two nights are shown due to space constraints so please click the 'Read More' link below to see the full schedule.

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The Topsfield Composting Center will open for the season on April 6, 2013. The Composting Facility is located at the Public Works Facility on Boston Street. There is a fee to drop off leaves and yard waste. Residents can go to the Selectmen's Office in Town Hall and purchase a Compost Access Ticket for $5.00. Each Ticket will allow the disposal of up to 2 cubic yards (a standard body pick up truck) of material per visit. Each visit will require a separate access ticket.

Seasonal stickers can be purchased at Town Hall. The cost is $45.

The Compost Center is open and staffed on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM only. No weekday drop-off is permitted unless prior arrangements have been made. Any additional information can be obtained by calling the Highway Dept. at 978-887-1542.

Manganese is a naturally occurring mineral found in rocks, soil and groundwater, and surface water. Manganese is necessary for proper nutrition and is part of a health diet, but can have undesirable effects on certain sensitive populations at elevated concentrations. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and MassDEP have set an aesthetics-based Secondary Contaminant Level (SMCL) for manganese at 50 micrograms per Liter (ug/L), or 50 parts per billion (ppb), and health advisory levels. In addition, EPA and MassDEP have also established public health advisory levels.

Drinking water may naturally have manganese and, when concentrations are greater than 50 ug/L, the water may be discolored and taste bad. Over a lifetime, EPA recommends that people drink water with manganese levels less than 300 ug/L and over the short term, EPA recommends that people limit their consumption of water with levels over 1000 ug/L, primarily due to concerns about possible neurological effects. Children up to 1 year of age should not be given water with manganese concentrations over 300 ug/L, nor should formula for infants be made with that water for longer than 10 days.

What is a cross connection?  It's an actual or potential connection between a potable water line and any waste pipe, soil pipe, sewer, drain or other unapproved source.  These connections pose a threat to public health by allowing contaminants to be siphoned or forced into the public drinking water system under certain hydraulic conditions.

In a residential setting, cross connections include submerged hoses, lawn irrigation systems, chemical spray applicators, connections to private wells, boilers, solar heating systems and fire sprinkler systems.  These connections, if left unprotected, could introduce contaminants to the water system.  Consumers play an important role in protecting public health by notifying the Water Department of any cross connections and helping to eliminate or properly protect the connection by installing a backflow prevention device.

There are six types of backflow prevention devices that are available to protect the water system from cross connections.  The proper device is selected based on the degree of hazard of the connection.

The Rowley Bridge Road bridge, spanning the Ipswich River, is closed until further notice due to structural concerns.  Existing wooden piles that support the concrete deck will be replaced with new steel piles outboard of the bridge and a series of beams.

February 2013 Update: Bridge repairs began in December 2012.  The replacement piles are installed and the vendor is waiting for the Ipswich River level to drop to allow the bridge deck to be jacked up so new beams can be installed.

How much water does Topsfield use? Below is a chart that shows how much water was used on a daily basis for the past few weeks. The totals include all of the water consumed including water used by customers, leakage, flushing and fire fighting. The volumes on this chart are calculated using pump flow and tank level data from our control system. System demand is calculated by correcting withdrawal volumes for changes in storage tank levels.

Stream flow is measured at the United States Geological Survey's gauge station located just downstream of the dam near Foote Brothers Canoe Rental in Ipswich and at a station in South Middleton. The chart below is displays recent average daily flow data from the Ipswich Gauge. Click here to view a state streamflow summary.  Click here to view a full screen version of the chart.