Water Main Break Leads to All Hands on Deck

Drone Image of the 36-inch main break captured by the SWSC IT/GIS Drone Team on September 12, 2023.

On September 12, at approximately 3:30 PM, monitors at Provin Mountain detected sudden rapid loss of water in one of the storage tanks. Without any reports of large fires, undermined roads, or washouts coming in, staff suspected a large main break. But where?

Several teams immediately sprang into action. Up at West Parish Filters, water production was ramped up to keep pace with the loss of water. Crews at Provin inspected the transmission main easements for signs of a rupture. One emerging clue was that water pressure was not lost in Agawam, suggesting the leak was to the east of – or even under – the Connecticut River, so IT deployed drones over the river. Engineering activated hydraulic models to hone in on a possible location. And Field Services crews canvassed the city and Ludlow to look for physical signs.

Meanwhile, an Emergency Response team convened virtually over Teams, and would stay online working into the night. Large swaths of customers called in to Customer Service to report a loss of pressure or loss of water. To help quell the influx, a notice was put out through the Commission’s Reverse 911 system (Everbridge) and social media indicating that the Commission was aware of the issue. Customer Service representatives stayed late to take as many calls as possible. And Emergency Response/Safety managers kept critical customers such as hospitals and wholesale community contacts in the loop.

Finally, at approximately 5 PM, word passed from a pedestrian to a nearby police detail that a large amount of water was flowing behind Big Y on St. James Avenue into Abbey Brook. The ground encasing the pipe had completely washed away due to heavy rains the day prior, leaving the pipe with no support. Field Services crews immediately responded and began to isolate the leak, which was on a large 36” diameter transmission main in a thickly wooded area. As the break was isolated, pressure immediately returned.

As it turned out, that was only the beginning. Water quality regulations require a minimum 20 psi in the system at all times to prevent backflow (or suction) of bacterial contamination into the system. Pump station and customer smart meter data indicated several instances of pressure <20 psi and reverse flow. Therefore, until sampling could confirm no bacteria had entered the system, the Commission consulted with MassDEP about the issuance of a precautionary boil water alert.

The alert was issued via the Commission’s Reverse 911 system, news, social media, and a press conference to its customers. MEMA independently issued its own alert. Meanwhile, crews from the West Parish laboratory staff quickly collected samples from throughout the distribution system that night and the next day to confirm the absence of bacteria. Thankfully, by 4:40 on Thursday morning, the results came back clear, and the boil order was lifted.

The Commission has not experienced a boil water order since approximately 2004. This much-larger experience showcased how technology and good old-fashioned teamwork helped resolve a massive impact on our customers relatively quickly. Staff involved in the response are now documenting lessons learned and enacting necessary actions to ensure that the Commission is prepared for any future emergencies that may arise. 

This past spring and summer many Commission staff contributed to two new videos intended to help educate our customers about our work and our new Pipeline Program! Thank you to everyone that braved the cameras or assisted with getting the perfect shot. Check out the results on SWSC’s YouTube channel!

SWSC – Who We Are and What We Do:

https://youtu.be/jwNbmYHCWf4

The Pipeline Program at SWSC:

 https://youtu.be/ZJGd3PlhEPE

(L – R) Katie Shea, Ivette Viruet, Cariel Wilkinson, Kaymaris Ortiz, Sheronda Little, Katlin Bassett, Jo Ann Smith, and Nicole Sanford at the Springfield Public Schools Back to School Event at Blunt Park in Springfield, August 2023. 

Fishing derbies, fireworks, festivals, and more were on the agenda this season for the Commission’s mobile water station. Since April 2023 the Commission has provided the mobile water station at more than 20 community events across Springfield. This year’s water station featured a brand-new water bottle design, created by Jef Peristere from the IT Department. The new design was a hit, with more than 9,000 bottles distributed to-date. Jef’s design was also featured on the new “Drink Cobble Water” long sleeve tee and polo shirt.

Donning these fresh designs were the dozens of Commission staff that signed-up to work the water station – mostly during the evenings and weekends. The Commission’s participation in these long-standing community events like the Stone Soul Festival, Dragon Boat Races, and Puerto Rican Parade, would not be possible without our dedicated team of staff at the water station, distributing water, greeting customers, and answering questions. Kudos to all the staff that participated this year – more than 40 of you! Kudos also goes to the Water Quality crews that set-up and break-down the station for the events.

With the chilly weather upon us, the water station is safely stored away for winter, but be sure to visit the water station page: https://waterandsewerorg.sharepoint.com/SitePages/Volunt.aspx in Spring 2024 for water station opportunities next season. 

Pictured Above: (Back) Kaymaris Ortiz, (Middle) Sheronda Little, Sabrina Parent (Front) Sandra Wilkerson, Vickie Baez, and Betzaida Medina at the Spirt of Springfield Star Spangled Springfield event at Riverfront Park, July 2023. 

Pictured Left: (L – R) Kim Clemons, Jeannine Duquette, Sara Tetrault, and Raemarie Walker at the September 11th Remembrance Ceremony at Riverfront Park, September 2023. Pictured Right: (L – R) Clyde Snow, Brendan McCarthy, Enid Diaz, Sandra Wilkerson, Sheronda Little, and joining his SWSC colleagues for a photo, Demetreus Middlebrooks, at the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival at Sterns Square in Downtown Springfield, July 2023. 

(L – R) Isaac Myers, Natalia Henry, Sheronda Little, Vickie Baez, Kaymaris Ortiz, Sandra Wilkerson, and Nilda Garcia at the Dragon Boat Festival at the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club in Springfield, October 2023. 

(L – R) Cariel Wilkinson, Sara Tetrault, Nilda Garcia, Patrick Karalekas, Ashely Demarey, and Elise Tarnauskas, at the Spirit of Springfield World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast in Downtown Springfield, May 2023.

Brendan McCarthy (Mac), chats with an event attendee at the Springfield Museums Earth Day Festival, April 2023. 

(L – R) Dave Root, Ivette Viruet, Erin Lobik (summer intern), Jorge Santana, John Griffin, Kaymaris Ortiz, and Cariel Wilkinson at the New North Citizens Council Back to School Event at Chestnut Middle School, August 2023. 

Kudos to Kim Clemons and Mildred Colon who quickly responded to a medical emergency on Bondi’s Island in August. They used their quick thinking, teamwork, and experience to handle this emergency in a safe and professional manner. 

Employee Picnic 2023

After adjusting for forecasted heavy rains and again for the 36-inch water main break and boil water order, the Commission’s Employee Picnic was held at Bondi’s Island in the Fleet Maintenance Garage. Dirk Bohn was so accommodating that it begs the question, “Why did we even plan to go anywhere else?” The event proved that it’s not about the location or the activities: it’s about the people. The vibe was casual, and the food truck lines provided opportunities for people to connect with colleagues from other locations.

Special thanks to Matt Krupa and crew, Chris Tranghese, David Hernandez, Paul Roberts, Dennis Stebbins, and Damien Trites, at Ludlow Reservoir – the original location of the picnic. When they were approached about hosting the picnic, they not only agreed but spent many weeks planning the event and getting the grounds ready. 

Kudos, for help with the picnic, including before, during and after, also go out to Sara Tetrault, Raemarie Walker, Rosie Serrano, and Jennifer Boulais; Celso Sandoval and Corey Monroe; and Jaimye Bartak and Katie Shea.

And a very special thanks and kudos to Kim Clemons, who made the whole event possible. Kim not only pulled together a great afternoon but actually planned three different events as she dealt with everything that Mother Nature threw at us.

The group of 12 Pipeline Interns pose for a photo on their last day, along with Kim Clemons and Katie Shea, both who helped to organized and oversee the program.

Pipeline Interns plant a tree at Forest Park with the City of Springfield Forestry Department and ReGreen Springfield.

Commission staff joined in on the Pipeline Celebration and ice cream party too! Pictured are Wes Bailey, Vince Mazzuca, and Natalie Hale.

Pipeline Interns Caleb Greaves, Raymond Colon, and Anthony Nguyen deliver their end-of-program presentation on how wastewater treatment works.

Engineering Constriction Inspector Zachary Zak shows Pipeline Interns, Anthony Nguyen (middle) and Quaid Corbitt (right) around Provin Mountain. 

Pipeline interns (L-R) Caleb Greaves and Quaid Corbitt chat with Rafael Sierra from the Meters Group during the Pipeline Program Mentorship Breakfast in July. 

Pictured Left: Treatment Plant Operator II, Kevin Zeneski, gives Pipeline Interns Robert Rivera (left) and Ai’zaun Lowe (right) and overview of the rapid sand filters and SCADA system at West Parish Filters. Pictured Right: Pipeline interns learn about the Environmental Science bachelor’s degree program at Westfield State University. Joining the interns for the informational session and campus tour are several WSU Environmental Science alumni and current SWSC employees including GIS Analyst Alex Hiller, Environmental Analyst Dave Root, and Business Intelligence Analyst Jacob Hampton. 

The Business Intelligence Team, lead by Steve Straw (center), recently met to discuss the development of a new sign-up and tracking system for the water station. 

Over the past 15 years, asset management, data collection and data analysis capabilities have significantly advanced, creating new opportunities for operational efficiencies and providing better customer service. In response, this fall the IT Department announced the formation of a new Business Intelligence Team. Led by Business Intelligence Manager Steve Straw, the Team is intended to innovatively manage existing and new data collected by the Commission through various platforms into more usable, accessible, and actionable formats. The outcomes will allow for more informed and strategic business decisions and better tracking of results.

The Business Intelligence Team is positioned as an internal resource for departments or teams who wish to better display, track, and make decisions with their data, or to help build new tools to support their operations. For example, the Communications Department recently reached out to the Team to help devise a more automated water-station volunteer sign-up and planning system. This will involve building connections between the Intranet, VUEWorks, Checkwriters, and the Commission’s website – four separate tools that are currently used, but do not “talk” to one another, for the water station – in order to reduce the reliance on email and phone calls and better track community engagement. As another example, the Watershed Team recently built Business Intelligence resources using Power BI to centrally track their progress on property monitoring, culvert inspections, etc., to ensure comprehensive coverage of the Commission’s watershed land.

Steve Straw has worked with the Commission for 19 years, starting as a Skilled Laborer and most recently serving as CMMS Administrator. His background and experience in Operations, Asset Management and IT has fittingly evolved to prepare him for this new role. Steve Straw says, “We are looking forward to working with departments throughout the Commission to implement new technologies and solutions. If you have a project that we can assist with, please put in a Techdesk ticket and we’ll be happy to follow up to discuss your needs.”

Ivette Viruet, Customer Service Representative, JJSOC

Ivette Viruet joined the Commission this summer as a Customer Service Representative (CSR) in the Field Service Office at the Joseph J. Superneau Operations Center on Colton Street. Ivette comes to the Commission with previous experience in customer service and is looking forward to the opportunity further grow in her career and learn more about the water sector.

As a CSR in the Field Service office, Ivette takes customer calls and inquiries and responds appropriately. This may include explaining Commission procedures, setting up appointments, and referrals. Ivette explains that answering customer calls requires a great deal of professionalism and patience.

So far, Ivette has enjoyed the interactive aspect of the position and states that she enjoys working at the Commission because of all the community engagement and the importance of answering customers questions about their drinking water and wastewater. She is looking forward to learning more about the Commission and further developing in her new role.

Outside of work Ivette enjoys decorating and DIY craft projects, hair styling, and baking.  

Congratulations to Pete Thayer, Chief Operator at West Parish Filters, on his award-winning pumpkin. Weighing in at 1,024 lbs!

Email them to Communications Manager Jaimye Bartak at jaimye.bartak@waterandsewer.org or Educational Outreach Manager Katie Shea at katherine.shea@waterandsewer.org. 

For more employee news and Commission updates visit the employee intranet/SharePoint site: 

waterandsewerorg.sharepoint.com/

The Pipeline: Fall 2023 edition cover photo, Borden Brook Reservoir, October 2023. Photo credit: IT/GIS Drone Team.