Manufacturer's of dishwasher detergents have reduced the phosphate content in their products to less than 0.5% in order to comply with new regulations that were adopted by sixteen states including Massachusetts.  The new regulations went into effect on July 1, 2010.  Some detergents contained as much as 8.7% phosphate so there could be a substaintial reduction depending on the brand of detergent you use.  Phosphate is typically the limiting nutirient in fresh water enviroments.  The reduction is intended to curb problems caused by excessive phosphate loading such as low dissolved oxygen content and algeal blooms in fresh water bodies.

One of the main benefits of using phosphates in detergents is that it prevents mineral deposits from forming on dishes as they dry.  The calcium and magnesium content of water is commonly referred too as the hardness of the water.  Phosphates were added to detergents to counteract hard water.  Most groundwater sources New England, including our two water sources, contain high amounts of calcium and magnesium and are considered hard.  The minerals are dissolved from soil and rock formations as the water flows through the ground.  Water withdrawn from surface water supplies such as streams, rivers and lakes typically have much lower mineral content and are considered soft.

Is your water discolored water?  It is not unusual for water to be discolored while we are flushing hydrants, after a water main break or during a fire. If your cold water is discolored at other times please give us a call or check our website for information about causes of system wide problems.

Hydrants are flushed twice per year to remove sediment in the water mains but deposits also form in water services and home plumbing.  The If you find that the occurrences of discolored water do not coincide with flushing or main breaks and your neighbors do not have the same issue, it might be time to flush your water service.

We can flush the service for you by removing the water meter, attaching a hose and running the service at full pressure to scour the pipe wall.  It takes about a half an hour and there is no charge for the work.  We will need access to the water meter and someone over the age of 18 must be at home while the work is done.  Please call (978) 887-1517 to schedule an appointment.

Water hardness is a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium ions present in drinking water.  Surface waters are typically considered soft - they have low concentrations of calcium and magnesium.  Ground waters, such as ours, are hard because the water flows through soil and rock which contain hardness components.  The effects of hardness are normally seen when using soaps and detergents which dissolve and foam more easily in soft water than in hard water.

Some appliances, such as dishwashers, can be adjusted based on water hardness.  Our water is considered moderatly hard.  We have two water sources with different hardness characteristics so the hardness of the water in the distribution system can vary depending on which source is in use and how the two source waters are mixed.  Generally speaking our water ranges in hardness from 50 milligrams per Liter (mg/L) to 100 mg/L which is equivalent to 8.75 to 17.5 grains.