Run your cold water only until it clears.
Check and clean all your faucet strainers or screeners. If that does not help, call us. The Water & Sewer Commission will check for problems.
To prevent pipes from freezing, insulate the pipe, keep cold air from getting into the house or wrap the pipe with heat tape that is the correct type. If you keep the water running slowly the water may not freeze, but this will add to the cost of your water and sewer bill.
Marblehead water is soft.
Cloudy tap water is caused by air bubbles in the water from the change in temperature from ground to above-ground temperature.
The MWRA tests its water daily. Bi-Weekly samples are taken from various places in Town and tested at a MWRA Lab in Chelsea.
There are many ways: purchase low water use washing machines, cut down on yard sprinkling, install lo-flow shower heads and toilets.
The Massachusetts Water Resource Authority advises us to reduce the hazardous things we put in the water in our homes. For safe alternatives visit:
With the fall season upon us and many of the trees already dropping their leaves, we are asking for your help. By keeping the catch basin cover free and clear of leaves and debris it will be beneficial to everyone.
Does the water usage shown on your current quarterly bill seem higher than on your previous bill or the bill before that? There are several possible reasons for this.
First, you should compare the usage on your current bill to the usage during the same period in previous years. The amount of water used often varies by the season or time of year. (We can provide a history of your past usage if the earlier bills are not available.)
If you still feel that your usage is higher than normal after comparing like periods, there are several possible reasons that should be considered:
- A dryer spring or summer with more outside watering than usual;
- A newly-installed irrigation system;
- Car and/or boat washing;
- Filling a swimming pool or backyard ice skating rink;
- A new member of the family;
- Children back home from college;
- Visitors for extended periods.
All of these would cause a significant increase in your water usage.
If none of the above are probable, the most likely culprit is a leaky toilet. A leak the size of the point of a pencil, which is often not detectable by sight or sound, can use almost 74,000 gallons of water (9,850 cubic feet) over a three month period.
We have dye tablets available at the water and sewer office that you would simply dissolve in some water and put into the tank of your toilet(s). Food coloring would serve the same purpose. After waiting two to three hours, check to see if any of the blue dye or coloring appears in the toilet bowl. Any hint of color in the bowl would indicate a leak.
If you try the dye test and it does reveal a leak, it is recommended that you contact a plumber immediately to correct the problem. Excessive water use will continue until the problem is repaired. If the dye test does not indicate a leak, you should contact us for further advice.
Please feel free to visit the water and sewer office to pick up some dye tablets or to contact us if you have any questions.
Did you recently receive a solicitation for water line or sewer line insurance?
Several local homeowners have recently received letters from companies offering to sell them insurance coverage to repair breaks that may occur to the water line or sewer line that connects their home to the Town’s main service lines.
The Marblehead Water and Sewer Commission is not associated with these companies or the offers for insurance nor does the Commission either endorse or discourage the purchase of such insurance.
The homeowner is responsible for water lines from the street curb to their house. Any break or maintenance to this section of the water line is the responsibility of the homeowner. The homeowner is responsible for any break or maintenance to sewer lines from the point of connection to the Town’s sewer main (usually the middle of the road) to the house.
So, does this mean that you should purchase this insurance coverage? While we can’t give you a direct answer to this question, we can offer a few suggestions for you to consider in making a decision:
- Breaks to the water and sewer service lines can happen, but they are rare.
- Excavation is the largest expense in making service line repairs. Does the insurance policy being offered cover the costs associated with excavation?
- Does your current Homeowners Insurance Policy cover breaks or maintenance to these service lines?
- Read the fine print before purchasing any insurance policy.
The best advice that we can offer is for you to contact the insurance agent or company that holds your current Homeowners Insurance Policy to see if breaks or maintenance problems with water and sewer service lines are covered by your current policy and to ask them for their advice before purchasing a separate policy like the one that is being offered to you now.