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Water Infrastructure Projects

Artichoke Reservoir

The City of Newburyport is working to undertake a series of significant upgrades across its water supply system, recognizing that its aging infrastructure, exposure to climate risks, and evolving regulatory demands will all impact the reliability and quality of its drinking water. From modernizing pump stations and replacing old mains to securing redundancies in the reservoir network and enhancing PFAS filtration, these projects are critical to protecting public health and long-term water supply resilience. To ensure these efforts proceed thoughtfully and with community transparency, an Ad Hoc Committee on Water Infrastructure Prioritization was established in July 2025 to guide decision making, foster public engagement, and help the City coordinate technical, financial, and regulatory challenges.

Newburyport owns and operates a water distribution system that serves approximately 18,289 people (U.S. Census 2020).  Over the last 3 years, system-wide consumption averaged approximately 2 million gallons per day (MGD) and increased to approximately 2.8 MGD in the summer.  Newburyport relies on the Lower and Upper Artichoke and Indian Hill reservoirs for approximately 80% of its drinking water.  Additionally, Bartlett Spring Pond (offline) and groundwater Wells No. 1 and No. 2 supply 20% of the City’s water.  Well No. 1 discharges ahead of the clearwell at the water treatment plant (WTP) while Well No. 2 discharges directly into the treated water distribution system on Ferry Road.  The Lower Artichoke Reservoir, Upper Artichoke Reservoir, and Indian Hill Reservoir are pumped from the Lower Artichoke Pump Station through approximately two miles of 16-inch pipe to the head of the WTP.  Water from Bartlett Spring Pond can also be pumped to the head of the WTP but currently is off-line due to PFAS levels that exceed EPA standards.  Water leaving the WTP is pumped through approximately 80 miles of distribution system piping and 2 water storage tanks (Rawson 2.0 MG and Marches Hill 0.75 MG) before reaching users.

What challenges are we facing with our water supply?

Climate Change

The Newburyport water supply faces immediate risks due to climate change, particularly from more intense storms and storm surge that increases the potential for contamination of the Merrimack River and damage to our dams, higher air temperatures, and droughts. Current conditions already pose a significant threat, and with sea levels expected to rise by up to 2 feet by 2050.

The intake pipe for the city’s water treatment plant is located near the Lower Artichoke Dam's spillway, which is at significant risk. If contaminated waters from the Merrimack River overflow into the Lower Artichoke, it could contaminate the entire water network, posing a severe public health crisis.

The Lower Artichoke Reservoir is particularly vulnerable because its overflow spillway is only slightly above the river level. The spillway is 3 feet below the FEMA 100-year flood elevation, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recommends that critical assets like water supplies be protected a few feet above this elevation. Anticipated sea level rise and normal storm conditions could pose a serious threat to this essential water source in the near future.

The city has implemented short-term emergency strategies, including installing a stone foundation at the Lower Artichoke spillway and planning for the use of large sandbags for flood protection. However, these measures are temporary, rely on advanced warning of storms, and will not suffice in the long term, especially with intensifying storm surges and projected sea level rise.

The Lower and Upper Artichoke reservoirs are at risk due to potential water quality issues from algae blooms, droughts, and flooding. The current system has a single intake point at the Lower Artichoke Reservoir, the lowest part of the reservoir network. Compromised water at this single intake point could disrupt access to 80% of the city's water supply from Indian Hill and both Upper and Lower Artichoke Reservoirs.

In 2025, the City treated the Artichoke reservoirs a record number of times with algaecide to reduce algal blooms and prevent toxicities from entering our water supply.  As droughts, high temperatures, and high phosphorous loads from adjacent land uses and existing sediment continue, it is very likely algal blooms will become even more prevalent.  This may require the City to treat the reservoirs with alum, which binds with phosphorus and prevents it from feeding the algae.

PFAS

Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), otherwise known as ‘forever chemicals’ are a group of fluorinated organic chemicals (there are roughly 8,000 compounds) that have been in use since the 1950s to make consumer products such as non-stick cookware, textiles, paper food packaging and certain foams resistant to water, grease, and stains.  These compounds can make their way into water supplies because they do not readily break down and are easily spread throughout the environment.  However, recent focus on PFAS, and regulations placed on its production and allowable levels in drinking water have shown success.  PFAS levels in our blood have shown consistent reductions and are expected to continue to decrease in our bodies and the environment with continued vigilance.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL) in drinking water for PFAS to 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for two PFAS compounds--PFOA and PFOS. Three other common PFAS compounds have 10 ppt MCLs.  In 2020, prior to the EPA’s regulation, Massachusetts also set an MCL for PFAS in drinking water.  The City of Newburyport has been sampling their water sources for PFAS since the Massachusetts limit was passed in 2020.  These regulations meant that the Bartlett Pond Reservoir was taken offline and has not been used since 2021 due to levels of PFAS exceeding regulations.  The Indian Hill, Lower Artichoke and Upper Artichoke reservoirs have maintained levels below the EPA MCL.  Well No. 1 contains PFAS above the EPA limit, but blending of this source with the Indian Hill/Artichoke Reservoir System keeps the Newburyport Water Treatment Plant in compliance with the EPA MCL.  It does, however, limit overall water production capacity.  Well No. 2 has measured as high as 3 ppt for PFAS but has not exceeded the EPA limit.  At this time, the City is compliant with the EPA MCL for PFAS and should be until the regulations are expected to change again in 2031 (formerly 2027).

Other Challenges

Much of the City’s water facilities are at least 20 years old and starting to show signs of age.  The Storey Ave Pump Station, for example, has pumps, motors and drives that are not only aging, but also are no longer being serviced by our vendors and replacement parts are no longer available.  This could mean that, should the drives and pumps fail, our water supply would not be available to be transported from our reservoir to our residents.

Similarly, the City’s water meters have reached their useful life.  The last citywide meter upgrade occurred between 2006 and 2008, and the current model is no longer in production and cannot be read by newer technology.  When meters exceed their useful life, low-flow consumption is not captured and battery failure occurs, resulting in lost revenue.  Upgrading to new meter technology means improved reading accuracy, enhanced leak detection, reduced undetected water loss, increased billing efficiency, and fewer abatements.

On Plum Island, staff must manually operate bypass valves to achieve flows needed during fires, which is inefficient, time-consuming, and poses risks to public safety.  Modernization of the booster station is needed to reconfigure the main piping and chemical feed systems to accommodate fire flows. Booster station upgrades also also include reprogramming the logic on the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and setting up redundant chemical feed pumps without relying on the flow-paced lead-lag scenario.

Proposed projects/CIP

The City's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) outlines the City's anticipated capital improvements over the next five years and reflects a comprehensive, financially-responsible, and forward-looking plan to maintaining and improving our physical assets, safeguard core services, and support long-term community goals. The development of the CIP is grounded in a structured, collaborative process that ensures the City can proactively manage its infrastructure and plan for future investment. Departments submit capital requests through a centralized online portal as part of an updated process introduced in FY2025. These requests include scope, estimated cost, timeline, and funding considerations. In FY2025, the City updated its Capital Planning Policy to standardize evaluation criteria and improve transparency of project selection. Each request is reviewed and scored using ten weighted criteria, including Regulatory Compliance, Community Health & Safety, Probability of Asset Failure, External Funding, Project Readiness, Impact on Service Delivery, Impact on Operational Budget, Master Plan Alignment, Equity & Inclusion, and Environmental Sustainability. Below are a list of CIP projects related to water infrastructure:

Storey Avenue Pump Station Upgrades (CIP-8): This project involves design and replacement of existing pumps, motors, and drives. This project is necessary because the drive vendor no longer services the drives, which are approximately 20-years old. If the drives fail, the Artichoke Reservoir System supply would be unavailable to the City. This project will also replace the old pumps with a newer VFD's which are more efficient and create less stress on pumps and piping. This project is currently funded and underway. Estimated cost $2.2M. 

Indian Hill Raw Water Line – Phase 1 (CIP-12): This is part of a larger project called the Indian Hill Raw Water Transmission Line and Pump Station, which entails constructing a water line to bypass the two Artichoke Reservoirs and pump water directly from the Indian Hill Reservoir to the Storey Ave Pump Station.  This Phase 1 involves the design and construction of a pipeline from the Lower Artichoke Pump Station to the Upper Artichoke Reservoir. This pipeline would allow the Upper Artichoke Reservoir and Indian Hill Reservoir supplies to bypass the Lower Artichoke Reservoir in the event that the Lower Artichoke Reservoir’s water quality or elevation renders it unusable. This project is at 30% design. Estimated cost $5M.

Indian Hill Raw Water Line – Phase 2 (CIP-13): This is part of a larger project called the Indian Hill Raw Water Transmission Line and Pump Station, which entails constructing a water line to bypass the two Artichoke Reservoirs and pump water directly from the Indian Hill Reservoir to the Storey Ave Pump Station.  This Phase 2 involves the design and construction of a new pump station at Indian Hill Reservoir and a pipeline to the Phase 1 connection point at the Upper Artichoke Reservoir Dam.  The purpose of the project is to provide redundancy, reliability, and the ability for mixing of the City’s three reservoirs. This project would allow for the Lower Artichoke Pump Station to supply the WTP with water from the Indian Hill Reservoir in the event that the Lower and Upper Artichoke Reservoirs’ water quality render it unusable, or if they need to be taken offline for other purposes, such as dredging. Estimated cost $18M.

Lower Artichoke Reservoir Dam Improvements (CIP-14): Phase 1 includes temporary spillway protection, which is complete, and Phase 2 involves the replacement of the earthen dam, which is in need of repairs, and raising of the dam elevation to mitigate the risks to the Lower Artichoke Reservoir’s water quality in the event of a backwater event from the Merrimack River during a significant storm surge as well as from future sea level rise. Estimated cost $9.7M

Watershed/Public Water Supply Protection Program (CIP-20): The short-term objectives of this project consist of public education and outreach, tracking the sources of pollutant runoff and mitigation efforts to prevent runoff, land acquisition, agricultural land management, in-lake treatment with alum for phosphorus removal, and stream clearing. Phosphorus and nitrogen, along with warm water, are precursors for algal blooms. Future efforts may also involve engineering, permitting, and construction of various Best Management Practices (BMPs) and other long-term treatment options needed to mitigate the excess nutrient loading in reservoirs. The costs for dredging are not known at this time but may be upwards of $4.4M. Estimated cost of short-term efforts $536,000.

Water Treatment Plant PFAS Filtration System, Existing Filter Upgrades, and Interior Modification (CIP-15): This project involves the design and construction necessary to retrofit the existing WTP site to include granular activated carbon (GAC) pressure vessels to remove PFAS for regulatory compliance. It is important to note that implementation of this project is also anticipated to mitigate ongoing taste and odor concerns. Implementation of GAC in the treatment train may also mitigate the concerns that could arise from a toxic algal bloom at any one of the City’s surface water supplies. The project includes replacement of chemical tanks that are past their useful services life, correction of deficiencies noted in past inspections performed by Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) personnel, and improvement of operator facilities. The design phase is currently underway. The project has been approved for State Revolving Fund (SRF) financing, including 0% interest for up to $20,495,200 and a $10,000,000 principal forgiveness component. Estimated cost $23.6M.

Plum Island Chlorine Booster Station Upgrades (CIP-17): The updates include reconfiguration of the piping plan, chemical feed systems, and updates to the SCADA system necessary to provide fire flow in the service area. This project is funded and underway. Estimated cost $139,000.

Water Meter Replacement Program (CIP-19): The existing meters infrastructure is outdated and nearing the end of its useful service life. The last citywide meter upgrade occurred between 2006 and 2008. When meters exceed their useful life, low-flow consumption is not captured, and battery failure occurs, resulting in lost revenue. Upgrading to new meter technology offers several benefits, including sustaining water and sewer rates by increasing revenue through improved reading accuracy, enhanced leak detection, reduced undetected water loss, improved customer service, increased billing efficiency, and fewer abatements. This project is underway. Estimated cost $5.8M.

Amesbury Interconnect: This project has been removed from the 5-year CIP forecast but still exists as a vital component of our City's public water supply in the event our water supply is taken offline. MA DEP has historically recommended communities provide redundant source(s) of water supply and, if at all possible, connections to water supplies in neighboring communities. The 2020 algae bloom forced the City to prepare for this connection to the Amesbury supply in the event the bloom became unmanageable, which it did not. A design was prepared that requires connection manholes at each end with proper water distribution components and a temporary water main to be laid on the Whittier Bridge. MA DOT granted the City a Highway Access Permit for this work and requested the City prepare for a permanent interconnection in the future. An Agreement with Amesbury is needed prior to making any connections.

Ad Hoc Committee on Water Infrastructure Prioritization

These are complex projects that require careful coordination with our neighboring municipalities, engineering firms, and our City Departments. The Council and the public need to fully understand these projects to appreciate the challenges we face and to feel comfortable that we are continuing to make progress, even if shovels are not immediately in the ground. The key to every successful project is comprehensive understanding, careful planning, and thoughtful consideration of all aspects from permitting and funding to construction.

On July 14, 2025, The City Council, in collaboration with the Mayor, established an Ad Hoc Committee on Water Infrastructure prioritization to improve communication and understanding around these projects.  There is a compelling need for the City to proactively plan for monitoring, treatment, and public communication related to PFAS, while also advancing critical capital infrastructure projects that strengthen water system resilience and prepare Newburyport for long-term regulatory and environmental changes.  This Ad Hoc is a positive step in facilitating these communications across multiple departments in a public setting.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Water Infrastructure Prioritization is tasked with the following responsibilities:

  • To assist in evaluating and prioritizing capital projects affecting the City’s drinking water;
  • To promote transparency and meaningful public engagement regarding water quality, watershed protection, PFAS monitoring, and climate change;
  • To provide structured guidance to the Administration on:
    • Prioritization of clean water infrastructure
    • Coordinating interdepartmental and community expertise for grant applications and project planning, and
    • Integrating resilience planning with water quality, climate adaptation, and equity considerations.

The Ad Hoc Committee is comprised of the following:

  • Voting Members: Five (5) City Councilors with at least one from the following committees:
    • Budget and Finance
    • Community Services
    • Public Works and Safety
  • Ex Officio, Non-voting members:
    • Three (3) members with one from each of the following commissions:
      • Conservation Commission
      • Water & Sewer Commission
      • Resiliency Committee
    • City Engineer
    • Water Superintendent
    • Director of Planning
    • DPS Director
    • Representative from the Mayor’s Office

Published Documents & Resources: