City well down; residents asked to avoid outside water usage

Many Holyoke residents received phone calls or text messages Friday afternoon, Oct. 1, advising them that city managers have asked that Holyoke residents not use any outdoor watering or irrigation until further notice due to the loss of the main city water well, which is down due to mechanical failure.

City Superintendent Mark Brown said the golf well, which is named strictly for its location near the golf course, was showing lower chlorine levels than it should have been.

Brown and other city personnel inspected the well Monday, Sept. 27, and shut it off to try to correct the issue, but it would not restart when they tried to turn it back on.

As last week’s temperatures got warmer, more people were watering their lawns. This led to losing water pressure in town and prompted the Friday message about avoiding outside water usage.

Brown said the Sargent Irrigation team has already reviewed the well’s mechanical failure and has shipped off parts for the necessary repairs. Until those are made, the restrictions apply. He added that the city may be looking at setting up an outside water usage schedule.

Brown also noted that the water fill station by the old generation shop in the 100 block of North Baxter Avenue is out of service because the water main leading up to it ruptured right under the building, and it will remain out of service until a new location for it is found.