Jon Ziegra, general manager of the Boothbay Region Water District, updated trustees at their meeting on April 14 concerning preparations for service to seasonal customers.

“Half the system has been filled with water and chlorine. By the end of the week, the system should be flushed,” said Ziegra. 

In a post-meeting interview, Ziegra explained the process for readying the 75 miles of water lines that are provided for the district’s seasonal customers.

Flushing the lines started on April 14 and was delayed this year due to the amount of snow still in some areas and temperatures that were below freezing.  

The process involves filling the lines with a mixture of water and chlorine and letting the mixture remain for a day or two to ensure that the lines are free from contamination.

After that, millions of gallons of water are flushed through the system.

Then, samples from the lines are then sent to a laboratory in Rockland to make sure that there is no coliform bacteria present. After confirming that the lines are free from contamination, the 1,800 meters for use by seasonal customers are placed. 

The meters cannot be installed until the temperatures are above freezing, because they can freeze and will break, Ziegra said.

The process for bringing the seasonal water service “to life” takes about a month and began much later than usual this year because of the harsh and long-lasting winter weather.

Under state law, the water district is required to have the seasonal service available on May 1 every year. It usually has the service available well in advance of that date.

“We’re about two weeks behind,” Ziegra said. “Seasonal customers should continue to monitor our website, where updates are provided.”

Information can be accessed at www.bbrwd.org/customer-service/2014-seasonal-water-turn-on-status. Click on the link that says “Seasonal Water Start-Up Matrix,” which gives a street-by-street list of the work that has been done.