9/1/2020
The Wilbraham Water Commission and Water Department will begin meter reading for the spring/summer billing period within the next few weeks. Our Water Department personnel can take many readings remotely, though some homes require in person visits to get accurate readings. All employees in the field will follow appropriate COVID 19 protocols, donning PPE, staying at safe distances and deferring to resident’s comfort levels when in-home readings are necessary. Accurate readings from homes or the meters themselves help the Department avoid estimating bills which can be costly and inaccurate and we do our best to avoid that particular scenario.
The Commission and Department would like to take this opportunity to offer residents a few reminders. We have experienced a hot and dry summer season. While much of Massachusetts is in moderate and even severe drought conditions, Wilbraham is fortunate to have the Quabbin Reservoir as our source of water which is currently reporting 95% capacity. We remain vigilant to be good stewards of both our supply and system, but have not needed to implement any restrictions to date nor project such heading into the fall. However, it can be helpful to the overall flow and pressure of our system if residents plan lawn watering during off peak hours between 8pm and 5am. While we are fortunate to not have water shortfalls, our system runs best for all when usage is spread out over the course of the day. It should be noted due to the weather this summer season our water flow volumes have been higher than recent past history. This is due in part to the temperature and lack of rain, but also the fact so many folks are in their homes daily due to the COVID 19 pandemic. While we have not raised rates for the cost of water since 2014, most homeowners can expect to see an increase in their water bill due to daily usage and irrigation, especially if ones grass is lush and green. Anyone interested in residential or commercial water conservation means and methods, please contact the Wilbraham Water Department for more information.
Thank you
Wilbraham Water Commissioners