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DPW workers finishing up repairs to a broken water line on State Road. The MassDEP has lifted a boil water order for the city except in those areas around the breaks on American Legion Drive and State Road.

North Adams Lifts Boil Water Order for Most of City

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has lifted a boil water order — with several exceptions — that was issued late Monday morning following several water line breaks over the weekend. 
 
As of 2:20 p.m., repairs have been completed, and water tests have shown no presence of total coliform or E. coli bacteria, according to the mayor's office. 
 
However, the state Department of Environmental Protection has continued the boil water requirement for buildings affected by the breaks: 40 Main Street, 10 to 36 American Legion Drive, and 40 American Legion Drive; and 74 to 264 State Road, and 15 to 57 Biltmore Ave.
 
Those areas were directly affected by a water line break on American Legion Drive and one on State Road. 
 
These properties remain under an order to boil water or use bottled water for drinking, making ice, food preparation, brushing teeth, and washing dishes.
 
"Since the initial public notification, we have made repairs and utilized an interconnect between our High and Low Service Areas, increasing pressures throughout the system. Bacteria samples were collected on December 15, 2025, at areas affected by low pressure," a statement from the Water Department reads. 
 
"Repairs are underway to restore water to the remaining affected areas. Bacteria samples will be collected once water is restored. We will notify these affected areas when it is no longer necessary to use boiled or bottled water."
 
The first break occurred in a line behind the water treatment plant on Pattison Road; the line was in a field and difficult to access. The drop in pressure and the continued cold caused other breaks, including the one in front of the fire station and the other by Carr Hardware on State Road. 
 
These caused outages and low water pressure in several areas off the city. Residents on Monday were advised to boil water or use bottled water for drinking, making ice, food preparation, washing dishes and brushing teeth.
 
For more information, contact the Water Department at 413-662-3157 and residents are urged to share this information with other who may not have received the notice. 
 

Tags: drinking water,   water line,   

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McCann Committee Gets First Look at $17M Renovation Progress

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

The project is in the home stretch with roofing and some windows and doors still to be installed. Superintendent James Brosnan also pointed above to HVAC improvements in the Guidance Office. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The McCann School Committee got a first look at the final stretch of a $17 million overhaul aimed at making the 64-year-old vocational school safer, quieter and more energy-efficient.

After a brief School Committee meeting Thursday, Superintendent James Brosnan led the members through the school, highlighting some of the changes made in the 64-year-old building.

"Just seeing this gives you a magnitude of the amount of work that goes on," he said.

The upgrades are being funded through the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Accelerated Repair Program and the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District's member towns.

Work was supposed to be completed before the start of the school year, but weather and the removal of materials caused a delay.

The tour was all indoors, and Brosnan told a disappointed committee that he was hesitant to take them onto the roof at night, but said the new roof is near 80 percent down.

"We have another 10, and 10 percent of that missing 20 is in the AVB [air and vapor barrier] and removal phase," Brosnan said. "That particular area is across the front, down the post-secondary ... we are going to pick up from guidance. So we have that plan going through next week. Fingers crossed, within two weeks we will have that piece down."

He said the roof has been built up and insulated for more efficiency.

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