A Brief History of the Water System

A Brief History of the Water System

The Bondsville Water Department was established in 1969 by the Massachusetts Legislature as part of the Bondsville Fire & Water District of the Town of Palmer. The original water main network was constructed in the early 1900’s and was primarily intended for use by the Boston Duck Co. This network consisted of a 6-inch cast iron water main carrying water from the Belchertown well field to the storage facility.

The Bondsville Fire and Water District receives its water supply from three gravel-packed wells, with a total rated pumping capacity of 0.36 million gallons per day (mgd). Wells No. 1 through 5 are located in Belchertown, Massachusetts alongside the Jabish Brook. Well No. 4 was installed in 1987 approximately 8 feet from Well No. 3. Well No. 3 is inactive and Well No. 2 is for emergency purposes only. There is one 500,000-gallon concrete storage facility in the District located off of High Street, Bondsville. This above-ground, covered reservoir was constructed in 1908. Well No. 5 is a gravel packed well that was constructed in 2008. In accordance with WMA Permit, Well No. 1 and 5 cannot be run simultaneously. Raw water from all active wells is treated at the Corrosion Control Facility located at the corner of Bardwell and River Streets in Belchertown.

In the 1990’s, the District acquired approximately 68 acres of land to protect the well fields through the MA Department of Environmental Protection, Aquifer Land Acquisition Program. The District continues to promote and develop resources to efficiently operate and maintain its facilities and infrastructure, planning for future water needs and providing management and technical support services for its members upon request.

The Bondsville Fire and Water District presently supplies water to consumers in the Town of South Belchertown and part of the Village of Thorndike, as well as to its own population. Most of the water consumed is used by residential customers and by industrial and commercial users who have comprised only a small percentage of water consumers in Bondsville since the mills were burned in 1968.

The Bondsville Fire & Water District’s Annual Meeting is held in May at the Bondsville Fire Station where the village’s fire and water department operating budgets are publicly approved and officials are elected. Additionally, the District holds monthly meetings to make sure these services are being adequately provided to its citizens. Meetings are held on either the 1^st or 2^nd Tuesday of the month. Our performance is dependent upon your participation. Feel free to contribute by submitting your name as a potential elected District official.