Fall River Annual Water Main Replacement Program

In 2005, due to several water quality violations including exceedance of allowed lead and copper in the water system, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued an Administrative Consent Order to the City of Fall River, Massachusetts. The city acted immediately, and continuously, to address water quality issues by removing thousands of lead services from the system. Already working with the city on a cast iron water main replacement program, we quickly adapted, prioritizing streets with higher counts of lead services.

In support of design, engineering, and resident services for the city’s pipeline and lead service line replacement projects, our team created a Water System Master Plan in 2002 and updated it in 2014, providing prioritized system improvements through 2035.

No small undertaking, we assisted the city in preparing and administering funding applications, which secured more than $88 million in low interest loans and principal forgiveness to reinvest in its water distribution system. Specifically, the city has upgraded its water treatment plant, replaced, or rehabilitated all seven of its water storage tanks, totaling over 20MG. Since the beginning of the program, the city has replaced more than 60 miles of cast iron water mains and reduced lead service pipes by 80 percent.