12/15/2025
North Adams Residence take note:
DRINKING WATER WARNING
BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING
North Adams Water Department
Loss of Pressure/Loss of Water Service
On December 14, 2025, a water main break occurred on the North Adams water system on State Road and another leak was found on American Legion Drive. This results in insufficient water to maintain safe water pressure or reliable service in our distribution system.
Massachusetts drinking water standards require public water systems to maintain 20 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure at each service connection to ensure safe water to our customers. These circumstances warranted advising those customers who lost service and those whose pressures dropped to below 20 psi to boil their tap water upon resumption of water service. Due to the multiple leaks and low pressures found throughout the system, we are issuing this boil water requirement to the entire water system.
Loss of pressure can result in backflow of water through and into the distribution system and may result in bacterial contamination. As a result, we are advising customers in the affected area to boil their water and MassDEP is requiring the issuance of this public notice as a precautionary measure.
What should I do? What Does this Mean?
• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
• Refer to the MassDEP website for the following information:
Consumer Information on Boil Orders https://www.mass.gov/guides/drinking-water-boil-orders-and-public-health-orders #-tips-for-water-use-during-a-boil-order-
• Discard all ice, beverages, uncooked foods, and formula made with tap water collected on or after Sunday, December 14, 2025.
• Food establishments must follow MA DPH procedures and the direction of their local board of health, which may be more stringent than the DPH guide.
• While no bacteria samples have confirmed the presence of bacteria. This notice is being issued as a precaution. However, pressure loss and discolored or turbid water due to breaks or changes in the distribution system may be related to the presence of disease causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria and viruses which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
• The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking this water.
What happened? What is being done?
We have issued a reverse 911 message to all of our residents/customers affected by the event. We are currently working to repair the water main break(s). We will verify adequate pressure and will collect bacteria samples to confirm adequate water quality of the distribution system so that MassDEP can lift this boil water requirement. We will let you know when you are no longer advised to boil water due to this incident and will provide updates as we are able.
For more information, please contact the North Adams Water Department at (413)-662-3157. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by: North Adams Water Department PWS ID #: 1209000 Date distributed: December 15, 2025
