The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

Water Dept.*

Recent project partially updates water system, but more to come

A recent money-saving water main project in North Lincoln had its roots in history, but more water-related spending is on the horizon.

Minute Man National Historic Park has been getting some upgrades to prepare for next year’s 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolution. Improvements to Virginia Road are part of that effort, and park officials asked the Lincoln Water Department several months ago whether the area’s water main could withstand the heavy equipment performing the work. Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam continued the story in an email to the Lincoln Squirrel:

“That led to discussion of approximately 30 abandoned water service lines under the section of Virginia road from Hartwell Tavern west to the Bloody Angle intersection. These are service lines that went to homes that were removed for the national park. We let [park] employees know we have had to dig to repair a few of these service lines which were leaking over the past couple years. They did not like the idea of more digging into their improved Virginia road to repair future service line leaks.

“To protect their investment in Virginia Road, we agreed to abandon an approximately a quarter-mile long section of water main that only serves Hartwell Tavern and a park comfort station. This main abandonment does not create any dead ends in our distribution system and may improve water quality by reducing water age in that area of town… This will prevent many future shutdowns for the repair of leaking abandoned service lines,” LaFalam wrote.

The job required shutting off water service to some homes at the northern end of Bedford Road and Silver Birch Lane for several hours. Affected residents were notified with flyers in their mailboxes — but the flyers incorrectly said this would take place on August 13, not the 14th (though notices on LincolnTalk and the Lincoln Squirrel had the correct date). When the water shutoff actually happened on the 14th — and when it also affected more people and lasted longer than expected — there were some ruffled feathers.

The work was supposed to be finished by 2 p.m. on August 14, but “occasionally, when working on underground infrastructure, unforeseen circumstances arise. We were forced to close valves further from the job site than expected to isolate the work area, creating an interruption in water service on Mill Street as well. Our crew and contractor worked diligently, but we could not get the water turned on until 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.,” LaFalam wrote in an apologetic August 15 LincolnTalk post directed to northern Bedford Road and Mill Street customers who unexpectedly lost water service.

Water main replacement plan

The temporary inconvenience will save money for the town in the long run — but more big spending is ahead as several of Lincoln’s other water mains (some more than 100 years old) are slated for replacement. Tighe and Bond, an engineering firm hired by the Water Department, came up with a priority list after doing testing and analysis of the existing water mains (age, materials and condition in recently repaired portions).

Topping the list: a segment that starts under Bedford Road near the top of the hill about a quarter-mile from the five-way intersection and then down Lincoln Road to the Codman Road intersection.

“During a main break on Lincoln Road near Ballfield Road two years ago, we saw the 10-inch cast iron main is tuberculated with mineral deposits down to about a 5-inch inner diameter. This restricts water flow and reduces fire protection flow. Flow testing confirmed this restriction of flow the length of Lincoln Road to Codman Road,” LaFalam said. “We had a main break on Bedford Road near the Library approximately six years ago and saw similar conditions, as well as porous cast iron pipe with greatly reduced integrity. We will be replacing the existing 10-inch cast iron pipe with 12-inch cement lined ductile iron. This will help future proof water flow capacity to the Lincoln Station area for any future housing developments.”

The project is estimated to cost $8.6 million. “Yes, the number is staggering to me as well. With construction costs increasing rapidly, the longer work is put off, the more expensive it becomes,” LaFalam said. The work will be broken into two parts. At the 2024 Annual Town Meeting, residents authorized a bond issue for $2.2 million to pay for Phase 1 from the top of the hill on Bedford Road down to the five-way intersection. The project has not yet been put out to bid so scheduling is unclear, but the hope is to start in spring 2025, he added.

For Phase 2 from the five-way intersection to Codman Road, the Water Department plans to ask for another $6.4 million in bonding at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting. If it’s necessary to break that phase into two parts, “the railroad tracks could be a natural stopping point,” LaFalam said.

The town is looking for funding sources other than Lincoln taxpayers. Officials have made requests through the State Revolving Fund financial assistance program for the past two years, “but the project has not made the cut. Most federal and state funding is going towards PFAS treatment projects right now,” he said.

Water shutoff in neighborhood for part of August 14

There will be a temporary loss of water at the northern end of Bedford Road and Silver Birch Lane on Wednesday, August 14 between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. This shutoff is necessary to allow crews to perform essential repairs to the water main located in your area.

“We understand that this disruption can be inconvenient, and we apologize for any disruption to your daily routine. We are committed to completing the repairs as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said Water Department Superintendent Darin Lafalam.

Affected residents should prepare by filling containers with water for essential needs such as drinking, cooking, and flushing toilets. Consider turning off any appliances that rely on water pressure before he shutoff begins.

After water service is restored, users may experience low water pressure or air trapped in the pipes for a short time. If so, open a cold-water faucet located at the highest point in your home, such as an upstairs bathroom sink, and let the water run until a clear stream appears. This will help remove any trapped air. If you experience brown or rusty water after service is restored, avoid using hot water or doing laundry until you flush water from an exterior faucet or garden hose for 10 minutes or until clear.

Anyone with questions or concerns may call 781-259-2669.

A few more things to know about Town Meeting

Water Department seeks $2.2 million in bonding

At Annual Town Meeting on March 23, the Water Department is hoping to begin a multiyear process of replacing an aging and leaky town water main by asking for $2.2 million in bonding to fund the first segment.

Article 26 on page 22 of the Motions list outlines four capital spending requests from the department that will need a total of $2.4 million in borrowing. The department and the Water Commission have commissioned a study of which of five segments of the main running beneath Lincoln Road from Bedford Road to Codman Road should be replaced first.

The entire project is estimated to cost at least $10 million over several years. “This is not the first ask,” commission member Steve Gladstone said on Wednesday.

The project will require a “moderate” water rate hike for four to five years, he added. This will be the first time since 2020 that rates will go up. In April of that year, usage rates went up by 28% and the quarterly base charge rose from $35 to $50.

The Water Department’s capital budget in fiscal 2024 was $315,000 and $142,500 in fiscal 2023. The fiscal 2025 projected operating budget is $2.02 million. In the former year, the department received $1.45 million from the ARPA program that granted federal aid to respond to the public health and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. That money paid for a replacement well on Tower Road and several other projects without the need for a customer rate hike. 

Groups will get time to present positions

Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden said on March 20 that she will grant the request from a group of 300+ residents who asked for 10 minutes to present the perspective of the Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives (LRHA) when Article 3 (the Housing Choice Act rezoning) is discussed.

Proponents of Article 3’s passage will also get 10 minutes of speaking time from the floor if they request it, Holden said. This is in addition to the Planning Board presentation by chair Margaret Olson. 

Dozens of residents at the March 19 Select Board meeting asked that a representative get podium time and the ability to show slides, but Cannon demurred.

Two other members of the Planning Board, Ephraim Flint and Lynn DeLisi, voted against endorsing the measure in Feburary, and Flint afterwards had asked for speaking time as well. However, since Olson “will be giving public voice to the minority report, it’s not really necessary for you to repeat your reasons from the podium,” Holden told Flint on Wednesday.

The full text of the proposed zoning bylaw amendment can be found here.

Planning Board endorses Article 28

The Planning Board has endorsed a citizen’s petition that would require the town to notify individual property owners when their property is part of an area being considered for rezoning. 

If Article 28 is approved at Town Meeting on March 23, town boards and committees must notify by mail property owners, residents (including renters) and abutters in the area of rezoning 14 days prior to their first public meeting at which the zoning change would be discussed. Similar notice would also be sent for any future meeting at which the decision on rezoning may be made as well as any Town Meeting where a vote on rezoning would be conducted. See details on page 23 of the Motions list.

Article sponsor Barbara Peskin said many people whose properties were marked for possible rezoning weren’t aware of it going into the State of the Town Meeting in September 2023, which offered three options to residents for feedback. “When informed in advance, people can become engaged and included in the process early and invested in the result,” she said.

Though there were some concerns among board members about how to define “first” discussions, Olson said at their March 19 meeting that she agreed with the idea. “For something this significant, we really should not be springing votes on people,” she said. 

If the measure is approved, the board will meet with Peskin and others to work out specifics of how the requirement will be implemented. 

Rides for seniors

The Council on Aging & Human Services is offering rides to Town Meeting for Lincolnites age 60 and over. Capacity is limited; book now by calling 782-259-8811.

My Turn: Alert citizens can have a big impact

By Ruth Ann Hendrickson

Lincoln’s unaccounted-for water measurement showed a huge reduction this year, and the discovery of two large leaks by alert citizens probably played a large part in that reduction.

Both citizens noticed the sound of running water in storm drains during the drought last summer, identifying leaks that Water Department personnel quickly repaired. We urge everyone to watch for the appearance or the sound of water in unexpected places and report it immediately to the Water Department at 781-259-2669.

The Water Department has been working hard for over 12 years to reduce our unaccounted-for water, increasing water leak detection surveys to twice a year compared to the industry standard of once every two years. Leak detection is difficult. The contractor drives around Lincoln during the wee hours of the morning, using sensitive acoustical equipment to hear the sound of water running through the pipes. We uncover many leaks this way every year, but we also miss many. Some years ago there was a 60+ gallon-per-minute leak on Beaver Pond Road that was never detected until the water started to bubble to the surface in someone’s yard. The leak detection equipment failed to hear it.

Lincoln draws all our public water from the Charles River watershed; that watershed is always stressed by upstream people like us who use water before it can get to the river. Consequently, the Mass. DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) gives Lincoln a permit to withdraw 0.53 mgd (million gallons per day). As part of the permit, we are required to demonstrate a unaccounted-for water use of less than 10%. For over a decade our measured UAW has been in the vicinity of 25%, but this year it dropped to 5% — a number yet to be certified by the DEP, but certainly a huge improvement.

So be on the lookout for possible leaks and report them right away!

Ruth Ann Hendrickson is a former longtime member of the Lincoln Water Commission.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Water Dept. clarifies: Outdoor watering is OK two days a week

Contrary to what was stated by the Water Department last week (“Watering limited to one day a week as town works to repair leaks“), outdoor watering is permissible two days a week. Residents with even-numbered street addresses may water on Tuesdays and Saturdays; those with odd-numbered houses may do so on Wednesdays and Sundays. 

Lincoln is unusual in having both a Charles River Watershed registration and a Charles River Watershed permit from Mass. Department of Environmental Protection. Under the registration rules the town recently received, the town would be limited to watering one day a week as of May 1. 

“We are awaiting our new water permit as well. I thought the new registration represented conservation levels that were going to be implemented in our permit as well, Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam wrote in a LincolnTalk post. He contacted the DEP for clarification and was told that the permit supersedes the registration, so Lincoln should “go by our 2010 permit and ignore the new Registration conservation levels.”

Lincoln is required to implement outdoor water use restrictions from May 1 to September 30 because it has historically exceeded its three water permit withdrawal limits. In 2022, Lincoln did better — it complied with its 0.53 mgd (million gallons per day) withdrawal average and its maximum 10% proportion of unaccounted-for water (pending DEP review), but still exceeded the per-capita water use target of 65 gallons per day, LaFalam said.

Watering limited to one day a week as town works to repair leaks

One of the burbling leaks off Deerhaven Road shot about a month ago. Click here or on image to see a short video of the same leak shot earlier this week during a dry spell.

Editor’s note: This article has been superseded by updated information — see “Water Dept. clarifies: Outdoor watering is OK two days a week” (May 23, 3013).

As of May 1, Lincoln homeowners are allowed to do outdoor watering on only one day a week — mainly because the town does not comply with water usage guidelines due to ongoing leaks, among other reasons.

The Mass. Department of Environmental Protection adjusts summer watering rules every year depending on the drought condition, which is currently Stage 0 (no drought). Normally this would correspond with Stage 1 for Lincoln (no restrictions on watering), but the town is required to set its watering limit one level higher than the state’s because of its noncompliance — thus, Stage 2.

Last year, Stage 2 meant watering was restricted to two days a week, but MassDEP just released new rules reducing that to one day a week before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m., although watering ornamentals and flower gardens with drip irrigation, hand-held house or watering cans is permitted any time. The change is so new that the state and town websites have not yet been updated with the latest information, according to Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam.

In recent years, Lincoln has been in violation at various times of three state water usage guidelines by exceeding:

  • the 0.53 mgd (million gallons per day) average withdrawal from the Charles River watershed allowed by its Water Management Act permit
  • the 65 gallon-a-day per capita target
  • the state goal of having less than 10% of water unaccounted for as a result of leaks in town mains and on private property between mains and individual homes

The three problems are tied together and are caused not just by residents using too much water in their homes and gardens, but because of water loss due to non-metered use and leaks — many of which have been going on for years. Some are hard to find because they’re underground and special equipment is needed to locate them.

“We’ve been working hard to reduce our unaccounted-for water,” LaFalam said. “We have gone to leak detection surveys twice a year, compared to the industry standard of once every two years. Our unaccounted-for water dropped from 26% in 2021 to a preliminary 5% in 2022,” though MassDEP is still reviewing that report, he added.

In 2022, Lincoln’s water use met the 0.53 mgd limit, though the average residential gallons per capita per day (RGPCD) was 73 mgd, compared to the DEP goal of 65 mgd, LaFalam said. “We did find some large leaks in 2022 and expect this number to be lower in the future, particularly with town residents’ cooperation with water conservation. The better we do on the unaccounted-for water, the lower the average daily water use will be and the lower the RGPCD will be.

“I think the leaks repaired last year go a long way towards reaching the three guidelines listed,” he added. “Continued vigilance with leak detection is also necessary. We recently fixed a ‘small’ leak on Brooks Hill Road that we estimate had leaked over 1 million gallons of water so far this year. We are also trying to get homeowners to repair leaking service lines as quickly as possible.”

The town’s water mains are very old and frequently spring new leaks. Some of the more dramatic leaks — though they don’t contribute to the unaccounted-for water — are in several places along a century-old disused clay pipe that once carried water from Flint’s Pond to Concord.

After a rainstorm, the leak creates an eight-inch-high “geyser” that’s loud enough to hear from the road about 100 feet away, but burbles above ground constantly even in dry weather, according to one resident who lives near the pipe south of Deerhaven Road close to Mill Brook. The resident said there are multiple leaks in the area that provide enough water for kids to play in during the summer, and that they’ve been going on for years.

Though the old pipe’s contents are not counted as part of Lincoln’s water usage, “it is water we’re losing from Flint’s Pond and we’re eager to get it fixed,” said LaFalam, adding that the Water Department hopes to get it fixed this spring or summer.

Asked whether the state might loosen its requirements over time as the population grows, he noted it was quite the opposite. “MassDEP will not get more relaxed when it comes to conservation. They are getting more and more strict, as evidenced by the Stage 1 water conservation level being reduced from two days outdoor watering per week to one day,” he said.

News acorns

Public forums scheduled on Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan

The Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee is hosting four virtual public forums to review the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan draft and collect feedback to improve the plan. There will also be a short presentation about the master plan at the State of the Town meeting in November.

The master plan, which was drafted by BPAC in consultation with the Planning Department, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and other town committees and departments, aims to make Lincoln to be more safe, green and accessible for residents and visitors traveling by foot and bike.

The public forums each focus on one region of Lincoln, but the BPAC will review the overall plan at each forum and are happy to discuss any region of town at any meeting if participants desire.

  • Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. — North Lincoln (Route 2 and north). Zoom link.
  • Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. — South Lincoln (Route117 and south). Zoom link.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. — East Lincoln (east of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. — West Lincoln (west of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.

More information:

Watering restrictions still in effect

With the continued Stage 3 drought, the state requires maintaining water use restrictions. To comply, the Lincoln Water Commission voted unanimously to extend water use restrictions in Lincoln beyond the traditional stop date of September 30. When drought restrictions are ended, a posting will be made on the town website and via other means. Don’t hesitate to contact the Lincoln Water Department if you have any questions (781-259-2669 or lafalamd@lincolntown.org).

During Stage 2 and above, Water Department staff monitors all sprinkler use in town and will stop to remind residents of the restriction policy. A first offence will result in a $100 fine, and subsequent violations will result in a $200 fine. For more information, see this Restrictions, Conservation & Water Use page and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ drought page.

Film screening: “After Life”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen “After Life” (1998) directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. If you could choose only one memory to hold on to for eternity, what would it be? In Japanese with English subtitles. Free and open to all.

Walk to benefit SVdP food pantry

Join a walk to benefit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston, which operates the food pantry for the two towns, on Saturday, Oct. 22 at St. Julia Church (374 Boston Post Rd., Weston) along Weston’s rail trail (approximately 2.2 miles). Check-in/same-day registration begins at 9 a.m. and the walk at 9:30 a.m., with an ice cream social at 10:30 a.m. Pre-register by October 15 to receive an SVdP gift. Suggested donation: $10 per person/ or $25 per family. Click here to register and/or donate. For more information, email svdplincolnweston@gmail.com.

“Opera for Everyone” series returns

The Friends of the Lincoln Library present their annual “Opera for Everyone” series on three Sundays from 2–3:30 p.m. at the library. Opera lecturer Erika Reitshamer returns to enlighten, inspire and entertain while passing along her vast knowledge of opera and opera lore to Boston’s educational institutions. Her last offering for Lincoln Library was a lecture on “It Takes Two to Duet,” just in time for Valentine’s Day on February 12, 2022.

  • October 23 —Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love”
  • October 30 —  Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville”
  • November 6 — Rossini’s “The Italian Girl in Algiers”

Click here for plot details.

Family Halloween activities at deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum offers moonlit sculpture-building activities with deCordova faculty, self-guided mysteries to solve with friends and family, and a sweet treat or two along the way on Friday, Oct. 21 and Friday, Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $35 per family ($28 for member families); click here to select date and buy tickets. For more information, call 781-259-3647.

Pumpkin Palooza for kids at library

The Lincoln Public Library will host Pumpkin Palooza on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10:30 a.m.–noon. Wear your costume and join us on the library lawn for Halloween fun: pumpkin painting, activities, crafts, and more. Drop-in; best for ages 6 and under.

Purple lights highlight domestic violence awareness

Why are those buildings purple? Purple, it is said, is the color of courage, survival, honor, and hope. It is also the color recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month each October. For the past several years, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable, in collaboration with the Lauren Dunne-Astley Memorial Fund and First Parish in Wayland, has chosen to light the towns of Sudbury and Wayland in purple. They have lit numerous faith and public buildings in Sudbury and Wayland and have posted banners and signs in all three communities. The Roundtable invites local businesses and homeowners to join in by adding their own purple lights. Inexpensive 4.5 watt Feit purple LED Electric bulbs are available at Ace Hardware in Wayland and Aubuchon Hardware in Sudbury.

Water board outlines exceptions to watering ban for all residents

Watering lawns by any means is now prohibited until further notice, but the Water Commission carved out some exceptions to the draconian Stage 4 water restrictions it imposed earlier last week. It also clarified that the restrictions apply equally to those who use private well water, not just those on town water.

The commission was bombarded with questions after its July 26 announcement that outdoor watering via sprinklers and, in many cases, even by handheld hose was prohibited in light of the continuing drought. In emails to LincolnTalk, residents asked if the latest rules applied to things like watering vegetable gardens or new landscaping plantings.

Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam told the commission that state guidelines were vague, requiring only restrictions on “nonessential watering,” but that state law does indeed empower towns to apply the rules to those who are not using the public water supply. Of Lincoln’s roughly 1,500 households, about 200 have private wells.

“There’s going to be a firestorm,” Commission Chair Ruth Ann Hendrickson predicted when well owners learn their outdoor watering habits have the same restrictions.

Stage 4 restrictions prohibit any outdoor watering except via drip irrigation once a week, but Hendrickson clarified in a LincolnTalk email last week that hand-watering by hose of personal vegetable gardens and watering of non-vegetable plantings using a bucket or watering can would be allowed.

At their July 29 meeting, the commission discussed the various questions that had been raised, and members voted to allow the following exceptions, and only between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.:

  • Vegetable gardens may be hand-watered as needed, since they fall under the state food production exemption. 
  • The town pool, tennis courts, and playing fields may get the minimum amount of water needed to ensure they can continue to operate because they are considered “essential to the mission” of the body that oversees them (the Park and Recreation Department). However, the toddler fountain at Codman Pool will be turned off. LaFalam had previously suggested that Parks and Rec use a pool cover when Codman Pool was closed to reduce evaporation. But Parks and Rec was reluctant to do so for safety reasons in case someone used the pool illegally and got trapped under the cover, he said. However, he will ask them look into using a liquid chemical solar cover. 
  • Recently planted landscaping that needs more frequent watering to become established may be watered by hand or with drip irrigation as required, preferably just once a week. No new flora may be planted during this time.
  • Conservation agencies (i.e., the Conservation Commission and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust), which install and maintain native plants to keep invasive species at bay, may also water those plants as needed.
  • Power washing houses and decks is not allowed, nor is window washing that uses water, but if a painting or repair job has already been scheduled or is underway, the homeowner may ask the Water Department for an individual exemption.

As noted when the State 3 restrictions were put in place, Water Department staff will drive around town and leave warning cards at home where they see sprinklers running. A second violation will result in a letter and subsequent violations will result in fines.

The department will make every effort to contact homeowners with automatic sprinkler systems who are away on vacation, but if the sprinklers are still running after a month, they will consider shutting off the water supply to the home.

The short period of time between the Stage 3 and Stage 4 declarations may cause some confusion. The Water Department included a notice of the Stage 3 restrictions with the quarterly water bills that just went out in the mail, but those notices are “already obsolete,” LaFalam said.

Lincoln is not in immediate danger of running low on water; Flint’s Pond is actually “at a normal state for this time of year,” LaFalam said. However, the groundwater level is seven feet lower than it was in December, something that was discovered when workers recently drilled test holes for the planned new town well on Tower Road. The existing well system was recently cleaned with the goal of increasing its capacity until the new well can come online.

“One water” is the guiding principle, LaFalam said, meaning that water from Flint’s Pond, the town well and private wells ultimately comes from the same place, as state regulations recognize. Even if conditions in Lincoln are not dire at the moment, “I think we have an obligation to the wider area to use our water with restraint,” he said.

Leak shuts off water service on much of Lincoln Road

Workers dig down to fix the leaking water pipe on Lincoln Road. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

A leak in a water pipe under Lincoln Road on Tuesday afternoon meant no water service for a wide swath of Lincoln homes and businesses between Codman Road and Weston Road including some side roads, with service not expected to be restored until late last night.

A contractor’s crew was digging a deep hole Tuesday afternoon as police directed traffic around the soggy street near the intersection with Todd Pond Road after Water Department workers shut off water on either side of the leak. Water Commission Chair Ruth Ann Hendrickson said the long stretch of Lincoln Road affected may have been because of balky shutoff valves near the site of the leak.

“You go to the gate valve on either side [of the leak] to close it, but then if that one isn’t working, you go to the next and then the next” until you find one in working order that can be shut. Valves sometimes corrode and the problem isn’t discovered until the infrequent occasion when workers try to close them.

“It’s well known in the industry” that many gate valves are stuck open, Hendrickson said. The Water Department has a program in place to test all the gate valves in town and “they’ve fixed quite a few already,” but many more still need to be looked at, she added.

It was still unclear Tuesday evening how the leak was discovered or if it was due to a break in the water main itself or a joint between two lengths of pipe. Most leaks occur at joints that fail, she said.

The Water Department learns about a new leak every couple of months. Sometimes they’re discovered only when water collects on the ground above a leak, or — as has happened recently — when a resident reports hearing water rushing into a storm drain underground when the weather is dry, Hendrickson said. The department checks for leaks once a year using listening devices to pick up the sound of running water late at night when most residents are asleep and not using water, she added.

Road salt in Lincoln: How much is enough?

Road salt has been a hot topic of discussion on LincolnTalk recently. How is it used to treat Lincoln’s roads? How much salt is in town water? Is it harmful for the environment?

Lincoln’s Department of Public Works, like that in most other U.S. cities and towns where it snows, have been spreading salt crystals on roads for decades. Road salt (sodium chloride, the same chemical as table salt) lowers the freezing point of water, so ice and snow containing dissolved salt will melt at colder temperatures, resulting in roads that are wet rather than slippery and thus improving safety for vehicles.

About four or five years ago, Lincoln began applying a thin coating of salt water (brine) on roads before an anticipated storm, which appears as thin white stripes. This prevents ice and snow from immediately adhering to the roadway and “breaks that bond,” DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo said. Pre-treating roads with brine means that less road salt is needed during and after the storm.

In recent weeks, several residents have shared photos on LincolnTalk of what appeared to be heavy coatings of rock salt on some town roads. Around the same time, The New York Times and The Washington Post published stories about a study in the scientific journal Frontiers in the Ecology and Environment titled “Road salts, human safety, and the rising salinity of our fresh waters.” Road salt can damage plant life when it drains or plows push it to the side of the road, and too much sodium in drinking water over a period of years can be harmful to human health.

In the 1980s, there was enough concern over road salt that the amounts used in Lincoln were reduced, and signs appeared at the town line on some roads noting that “minimum salt is used in Lincoln” as a warning to drivers that the road they were on might suddenly get more slippery. But problems arising from under-salted roads caused the pendulum to swing back the other way.

“Some roads were just rutted ice in a particularly bad winter,” Water Commissioner Ruth Ann Hendrickson said. There have been at least two deaths in recent years after car accidents involving icy roads. George Elder died after his car skidded on Sandy Pond Road, according to the Boston Globe article published on March 4, 1984. There was  another accident on icy Moccasin Hill where the driver was badly hurt, “and it really triggered people to say we need to have more” salt, she added.

How much salt does the DPW use? That depends on the weather and road conditions. “We try and use the least amount of material possible during winter storm events while doing our best to provide a safe transportation network,” Bibbo said. “Most winter storm events provide different sets of challenges and therefore require different treatment options. For example, a fast-moving snowstorm typically requires a different strategy than a rain-to-freeze event. Storms that produce mostly snow typically require more of a plowing technique than treatment. The weather conditions that we had in mid- and late December were challenging, with rain and mist repeatedly freezing on the roads.”

On Christmas Day, there was light snow and rain while the temperature hovered around freezing, and police reported several car accidents that morning. On January 5, while Lincoln didn’t see particularly hazardous conditions, a flash freeze caused numerous accidents in central and western Massachusetts despite road treatments. “I’ll tell you that I can speak for all our snow and ice managers that I’d rather get a foot of snow,” state Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver was quoted as saying.

Another variable is the ratio of sand to salt used on a given day. The DPW has piles of both (though the salt is covered, as required by the DEP), and the department decides what mixture to use for each weather event, Bibbo said. A higher proportion of salt is needed for icy conditions, whereas snow calls for less salt but more sand to aid in traction.

Occasionally there’s an accidental release of a large amount of the salt/sand mixture in one spot, “but we obviously try to avoid that at all costs,” Bibbo said. The DPW is looking into purchasing calibration equipment to more precisely control the rate at which the material is released as trucks drive over roads. The rate is now manually controlled by DPW crews based on their experience and road conditions, he added.

Asked about the use of road salt in environmentally sensitive areas, Bibbo said, “We don’t do anything different on roads near wetlands.” Roads are treated differently only according to traffic volume and speed, so main roads like Route 117 and Route 136 will get more total sand and salt. “The more minor roads typically may not be treated at the same frequency as the major roads, but all roads typically get treated,” he said.

Sodium in town water

The Lincoln Water Department tests untreated water from Flint’s Pond and the well on Tower Road (which provides about 30% of town water) once a year. The most recent water quality report shows that sodium levels ranged from 14.1 to 54.5 milligrams per liter or parts per million (ppm) in 2020. Unlike with some other chemicals and bacteria, there are no regulatory limits on sodium in drinking water, but the state DEP’s Office of Research and Standards guideline (ORSG) is 20 ppm.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also has nonenforceable guidelines for secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCLs) for various contaminants; exceeding those levels can cause cosmetic or aesthetic effects in drinking water. The SMCL for sodium is 250 ppm.

Interestingly, Lincoln’s higher 54.5 ppm sodium concentration is in water from the well, not Flint’s Pond, which abuts a portion of Sandy Pond Road, according to Darin LaFalam, Water Department superintendent. This could be due to mineral deposits in the Tower Road groundwater, he said.

“Detected levels of sodium are well within recommended limits. Nonetheless, people restricted to sodium intake of 500 mg/day due to health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney failure should discuss with their doctors whether to drink Lincoln water,” the town’s 2020 report notes.

For healthy Americans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg per day of sodium. In comparison, a liter of water from the Lincoln well contained a maximum of 54.5 mg in 2020. More than 70% of dietary sodium comes from processed and restaurant food, with 14% from naturally occurring sources and 11% from salt added during cooking or at the table.

Water from the well and pond water is not tested at different times of year, so it’s impossible to know whether sodium levels vary by season (for example, whether there’s more in the winter from road runoff into the pond). It was not immediately clear whether sodium levels in Lincoln’s drinking water have been steady, rising, or falling over the years.

“We will put this on the next Water Commission agenda to discuss whether there’s anything useful we can do. We need to take our time to understand the whole area of salt in groundwater,” Hendrickson said.