Weir River Water System operator gives update on discolored water in Hingham, Hull

Over the past week, discolored water has poured from the kitchen sinks, toilets and bathroom faucets of residents in three coastal South Shore towns.

Veolia – the company that manages the Weir River Water System, which provides water services to Hingham, Hull and north Cohasset – said the reason for the sediment-laden water reported since June 19 remains under investigation.

“We keep using the term that it was a 'demand' issue because we can’t find one single other event that we could point to,” said John Oatley, a regional vice president for Veolia, during Wednesday afternoon’s Hingham water commission board meeting. “I don’t think it was one specific thing, but we don’t know just yet.”

Some potential reasons for the tea-colored water that are being explored include last week's heat wave combined with the holiday that led to higher usage, or a main break on Leavitt Street in Hingham that was discovered last Thursday.

Veolia gives timeline of events for discolored water

Between 3 and 8 a.m. June 19, the water levels at the Turkey Hill tank had fallen from 57 feet to 39 feet, leading to a drop in pressure. To refill the system, the water treatment plant increased the flow of clear water to refill the tank faster.

The tank's water levels routinely fall as usage increases, officials said, but this drop was 4 feet more than what typically occurs. Sediment also exists within the water system.

“If the pressure is maintained, the sediment stays where it’s at,” Oatley said. “But when you reduce the pressure then increase the flow, that stirs it all up then transmits that sediment through the system.”

An operator told the water treatment plant’s management about the lower tank levels at 6:12 a.m., and continued to communicate and respond with higher-ups. The public was first notified by 10:18 a.m.

As reports of discolored water continued to be filed with Veolia the following day, crews started to vent hydrants to draw out the discolored water. The hydrants were picked based on the saturation of complaints. That continued through Sunday afternoon, when crews started to focus on individual customers.

The town of Hingham issued a mandatory total ban on all non-essential outdoor water use on June 22 and it remained in effect as of Thursday.

Residents express concern moving forward

Water samples taken from locations approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection did not detect coliform bacteria, and the iron levels were within the department’s levels. Two of the 10 sites that were tested had slightly elevated levels of manganese, a mineral found in rocks and soil, but still within the state’s threshold and below any measure that would have caused adverse health effects, the company said.

“I recognize that our water users are justified in their concern about this incident,” said Joe Fisher, water commissioner and chair of the Hingham Select Board. “Water delivery was not up to our standards. We are sorry that our water users experienced problems with the water that was delivered.”

Residents who spoke at the meeting said they were concerned that the problem would persist, and some noted that they’ve experienced discolored water in these coastal communities before the Juneteenth incident.

“For us, we have had brown water on an ongoing basis. The question is, will it be brown or are we going to have clear water?” said Hull resident Rick Smith, who said the water system’s previous owner, Aquarion Water Co., had tried to address the issue. “We’re just getting into season. We know about July 4th. We know about Labor Day weekend. We guard against it.”

Veolia reported that “conditions have vastly improved” but crews continue to attend to individual residents’ problems. The company acknowledged how it could improve its processes, including better communication with residents.

The town of Hingham has owned the Weir River Water System since 2020 , following a town meeting vote the year before to spend $114 million to buy the system from Aquarion. While the town owned the system, it was to be run by SUEZ Water Environmental Services. Veolia acquired SUEZ in 2022.

In April, an article at town meeting passed that allows Hingham to raise or borrow up to $21 million for the Weir River Water System. Roughly half would go toward the construction of a new storage tank at Strawberry Hill in Hull; $2.2 million would be used for a new booster pump station; $3 million would be set aside for rehabilitation of the Turkey Hill water tank; and $3 million would be used for maintenance of the system.

Anyone who continues to experience discolored water should contact the Weir River Water System at wrcs@veolia.com or operations@weirriverwater.com . To clear discolored water from the pipes, Weir River Water suggested doing the following, in this order:

• Run outdoor spigot until water runs clear. Turn off.
• Run the cold faucet in your tub until that water runs clear. Turn off.
• Run cold water in remaining faucets after the tub faucet clears. Turn off.
• Once cold water runs clear, run the hot faucet only in the tub to clear hot water. Turn off.

Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at hmorse@patriotledger.com .

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Weir River Water System operator gives update on discolored water in Hingham, Hull