Flushing of Pittsfield's Water System: Oct. 14-17

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Tuesday, Oct. 14, marks the start of phase two for the fall flushing schedule of the City of Pittsfield's water system as phase 1 is now complete.
 
Water mains will continue to be flushed through hydrants over the next several weeks to remove accumulations of pipeline corrosion products. This biannual process occurs twice a year, typically in the spring and the fall.
 
Mains will be flushed Monday through Friday each week, except holidays, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. This phase of flushing is expected to occur between Oct. 14 and Oct. 17.
 
Flushing is expected to affect the following areas:
  • Starting at Unkamet Park Drive heading west up to North Street, working north to the Broadway and Lakeview streets neighborhood.
  • Starting at Plastics Avenue moving west on Dalton Avenue including the Allendale and Allengate neighborhoods. Then moving west onto Tyler Street into the Morningside neighborhood, including Springside Avenue, pushing west to North Street.
  • Lincoln and Fenn streets, Silver Lake, Wendell Avenue and the surrounding vicinity, pushing west to North Street.
  • South Mountain and Tamarack roads, Dan Fox Drive, and south to the Pittsfield-Lenox line.
Although flushing may cause localized discolored water and reduced service pressure conditions in and around the immediate area of flushing, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that proper levels of treatment and disinfections are maintained in the system at all times. If residents experience discolored water, they should let the water run for a short period to clear it prior to use.
 
If discolored water or low-pressure conditions persist, please contact the Water Department at (413) 499-9339.
 
 
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Radon Reading Closes Pittsfield's West Housatonic Fire Station

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The fire station on West Housatonic Street has been temporarily closed after radon levels were found to be more than twice the normal amount.
 
Personnel at the station were relocated to the department's headquarters, located at 74 Columbus Ave., on Sunday out of an abundance of caution, said Catherine VanBramer, director of administrative services/public information officer. 
 
The West Housatonic Street station, built in 1951, has an officer and two firefighters on each shift. The station's apparatus has also moved to reserve bay at the Columbus Avenue headquarters. 
 
All of the city's fire stations and City Hall were tested. Once test results indicated concentrations above the recommended action level, the city promptly closed the station and began assessment and mitigation efforts. 
 
Initial tests found radon levels three to four times higher than normal, and further testing is planned in the coming days, she said. 
 
The department's headquarters is about 1.2 miles away from the West Housatonic Street station. 
 
"There are instances where PFD personnel are on a call in one part of the city and must respond to another call in a different part of the city.  The team continues to be ready to respond to any calls that are within their service area," VanBramer said. 
 
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