Category Archives: Announcement

Spectacle Pond Transmission Project

Spectacle Pond Transmission Main Project

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The Littleton Water Department is constructing a raw water transmission main to link the Spectacle Pond well to the new Whitcomb Ave Water Treatment Plant this summer.

The work along Rt.2A has been conducted at night to minimize traffic disruptions and is expected to be completed on June 23rd. Daytime work will begin on Spectacle Pond Road beginning on June 22nd between the hours of 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The 3.5 mile long transmission main is a critical component of LWD’s long term strategy to filter PFAS out of our drinking water.

Spectacle Pond Road will be closed to through traffic starting on Tuesday June 22nd. Regular construction hours will be Monday through Friday between 7am until 5pm, which will be through the summer. The detour will be through Hartwell Ave as shown in the below map. The Littleton Transfer Station will remain open its regular hours, but will only be accessible from Route 2A/Ayer Road.

This page will be updated a more information becomes available.

Cedar Hill Water Tank

Cedar Hill Tank Project

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Construction of a new water tank on Cedar Road is planned to begin on June 7th. Please see the “Cedar Hill Neighborhood Letter” for more details.

Cedar Hill Neighborhood Letter

Thank you for joining us on September 23rd, 2020 at 7:00 PM Eastern to learn more on the Cedar Hill Water Tank Project. 

The Littleton Water Department has begun the process of replacing the existing water storage tank on Cedar Road with a NEW Storage Tank which will be constructed on the parcel abutting the existing water tank parcel (34 Cedar Road). The first step in this process was retaining the services of Tata & Howard, Inc. for the design and construction oversight of the New Cedar Hill Water Tank.  Over the next several weeks you may notice some activity taking place at or near the existing tank site, as survey and soil borings are undertaken to assist in the design and layout of the new tank.  The Littleton Water Department, along with Tata & Howard, plans on hosting an information session with abutters sometime after the New Year to present the plan and take questions from abutters. 

Georgetown Water Tank

A few facts about the project: 

  • The existing water storage tank was constructed in 1950 and holds approximately 485,000 gallons of water.
  • Similar to the Georgetown Water tank photo above, the new tank design will be a composite concrete pedestal and steel tank with similar volume as our current tank on Cedar Hill.
  • The existing Cedar Hill Tank is critical to LWD’s ability to meet the daily demand of our customers, as well as maintain proper pressure in the Long Lake neighborhood.  Therefore, it will be necessary to keep the existing tank in service while the new tank is constructed. 
  • Once the NEW Storage Tank is completed and in service, the existing storage tank will be removed and the site restored. 
Preliminary Site Plan. January 2020

This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

April PFAS Update

LWD has completed maintenance and has turned on the Beaver Brook wells. Although we do not need to rely on Spectacle Pond well, we encourage customers to conserve water as we are experiencing a level 1 drought declared by the state. The bottled water rebate program will continue for those in the sensitive subgroups as defined by the state.

Please register your email to receive PFAS related updates here

FAQ

Visit MassDEP for their list of approved bottled water 

LWD offers a bill credit for consumers who are pregnant or nursing women, infants and people diagnosed with compromised immune systems. Bottled Water Rebate Form

More information on the water conservation effort and the drought can be found here

LWD will send a notification out with updates and next steps once this project is completed.  Register your email to receive these updates here

LWD is making every effort to avoid turning on the Spectacle Pond Well. However, if there is an increase in the demand for water during April, LWD may pump water as needed to meet customer demands. 

It is important we all try to conserve as much water as we can in April to minimize the use of Spectacle Pond.

Invitation For Bid & Proposals

All Legal Notice and Advertisement Bids will be posted here when they become available by LELWD. Select your desired notice below and follow the instructions specific to that notice. Littleton Electric Light & Water Departments reserves the right to reject any or all bids, wholly or in part in accordance with Massachusettes General Law.

The Littleton Electric Light and Water Department (LELWD) is inviting bids for HVAC System Upgrades at LELWD. View the advertisement for more details. 

Advertisement for HVAC System Upgrade at LELWD

Advanced Meter Infrastructure

AMI Resources

Advanced Meter Infrastructure

The Littleton Electric Light & Water Department’s existing meter infrastructure, AMR (Automated Meter Reading), is at its end of life and is in need of replacing. As a result, LELWD will be replacing customer meters with AMI (Advanced Meter Infrastructure) meters. These new meters use similar technology as our previous AMR meters but are able to provide more benefits to you and LELWD.

What Are The benefits?

  • Power Outage Notification– AMI can detect power outages and will instantly send an alert which will improve restoration times.
  • New Programs– Opportunity to develop and enhance innovative programs for all customers (EV, solar, battery storage, off-peak programs, etc.)
  • Water Leak Detection – AMI can detect water leaks which will help you and LWD conserve and protect water.
  • Customer Portal– Customer access to detailed information that will help customers better understand energy and water use.
  • Customer Service – Both electric and water meters can be read simultaneously and remotely to provide real time usage data for customer questions and concerns.
  •  Environmental Stewardship- LELWD can read meters remotely and efficiently. We will no longer need to drive through town to collect monthly readings which will reduce emissions and traffic in your neighborhood. We calculated a fuel savings of almost 1,000 gallons of gasoline per year!

FAQ

This is completely normal, the meter screen toggles between the screen check (lit up) and meter info.

No, there is no fee for replacing your meter.

LELWD residential customers who live in a single family home or an apartment with less than 4 dwellings are eligible to opt out. Please see LELD Advanced Meter Infrastructure Opt-Out Policy.

If applicable, customers must refer to the LWD AMI Manual Meter Read Policy  if fully opting out of electric AMI.

The current AMR meters broadcast almost 3,000 times a day, every day, and the new AMI meters only broadcast 3 times a day (once every 8 hours). The AMI meter transmits almost 1,000 times less.

For electric, LELD will use the town’s community notification system to give customers a general idea of when their neighborhood will be scheduled. When an LELD employee arrives at your home to replace the meter, they will knock on your door, identify themselves and allow any time necessary to address any questions or concerns you may have. We will never ask to come inside your home for electric service. Not enrolled to receive important alerts? Sign up https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/458D14D27696

For water, LWD will reach out to you in order to set up an appointment to replace water meters, as this will require access into your home.

For electric meters, LELD can replace the meter without any interaction with the customer. Additionally, LELD employees will not need to come into your home for this task.

For water meters, LWD will need access into your home and will schedule this time with you. (LELWD employees practice social distancing).

Yes, replacing your meter requires a brief outage that typically only lasts a minute. If you need to schedule this outage, please give us a call 978-540-2222.

AMI stands for Advanced Metering Infrastructure. AMI is a system that allows LELWD to be able to remotely communicate with electric and water meters.

Click to learn more about AMI meters from Itron. 

Just like traditional meters, Advanced Meters record the amount of electricity or water consumed over time. They differ from traditional utility meters in that they have additional functionality including communications and memory.

LELWD Advanced Meters communicate using radio frequency (RF) transmissions, similar to the Wi-Fi in your home. 

Click to learn more about RF in AMI meters from Itron. 

RF emitted by these meters is well below the limits set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and below the levels produced by other common household devices like cell phones, baby monitors, satellite TVs, and microwave ovens. According to Dr. Peter A. Valberg, “You would have to be exposed to an Advanced Meter for 375 years to equal the RF emissions you get from using a cell phone for 15 minutes a day for one year”.

The RF emitted by Advanced Meters is a very low-field and intermittent. In fact, LELWD meters are programmed to only transmit their data three times a day. With more than 25,000 articles published on the topic over the last 30 years, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals. In-depth review of these scientific studies by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the small amount of RF energy produced by Advanced Meters is not harmful to human health.

The American Cancer Society explains the difficulty to prove or disprove a link between living in a house with smart meters and cancer because people have so many other sources of exposure to RF and the level of exposure from smart meters is so small. For example, the amount of RF radiation you could be exposed to from a smart meter is much less than RF radiation exposure from a cell phone. Therefore, it is very unlikely that living in a house with a smart meter increases risk of cancer. The World Health Organization has promised to conduct a formal assessment of the risks from RF exposure but this report is not yet available. 

For more detailed explanations and information regarding RF, visit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Safety FAQ page

Advanced Meters do not adversely affect the stability or performance of home wireless networks. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates all electronics to prevent one type of electronic equipment from interfering with other electronic and wireless devices that operate in the same frequency band.

According to the American Cancer Society, “One concern expressed is that the radio frequency (RF) waves produced by smart meters might interfere with electronic medical devices such as a heart pacemaker. A study that examined the effect of smart meters on pacemakers and implantable defibrillators found that the smart meters did not interfere with these devices.”  More information can be found at: American Cancer Society Website FAQ page for Smart Meters.

 

Advanced Meters measure utility usage in exactly the same way as our previous AMR meters. The new meters will continue to measure only the actual amount of electricity or water you use, and the meter itself will not cause your bills to increase or decrease. Advanced Meters have been tested under various conditions and show consistently accurate readings.

LELWD’s system is, and will continue to be, in compliance with standards for cybersecurity and privacy, including standards set by the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC). Our systems also comply with federal and state regulations. Meters and the associated communications system are encrypted and equipped with security features to prevent unauthorized access. 

In addition, LELWD adheres to strict policies and follows state laws that regulate the use of personal information gathered for business purposes, such as billing and customer service.

No, LELWD will only know how much energy and water you use during a specified time interval. There is no way of knowing how you used energy or water during a specific time.

Distributed Generation

Solar

The Littleton Electric Light & Water Departments is accepting customers interested in installing solar and other distributed generation systems on their home or business.

Residential

Customers who are rate 10 are allowed to apply for interconnection.

Commercial

Customers who are rate 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 are allowed to apply for interconnection.

MLP Solar Rebate program

All funds have been reserved.

Residential

Customers under Rate 10 should read our Rate Schedules and our Standards for Interconnecting a Distributed Geneation System. We cannot recommend installers, but we can recommend you talk to local installers, as they are most familiar to local ordinances and regulations as well as LELWD requirements. When an installer makes a proposal/estimate, make sure they are using LELD rates and charges. There is a $250 application fee that is required when applying for interconnection, and will only be processed if the interconnection project is completed. 

Residential customers must follow the 2021 Interconnection Standards.

2021 Interconnection Standards

Residential customers who apply for net metering are subject to Rate 70 and should read and fully understand that rate.

Rate 70 (Net Metering)

Net Metering system size calculation– The sum of the 12 month billing cycle (kwh usage) determines system size. If the sum is greater than 10,560 kWh (the cap), then the customer is eligible for the maximum size allowed (8kW AC). Any sum below that is limited to that sum.                                                                  (The annual consumption (kWh) / 110 kWh (industry standard) / 12 (months) = system size in kW AC.)

System Size –The maximum allowable residential interconnection is the lesser of 15 kW (AC Rating) or a system sized estimated not to produce more annual energy than the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills. The lesser of 8 kW (AC Rating) is eligible for net metering.

To apply for interconnection, please submit the following:

  • $250 Application fee (check payable to “LELD”)
  • Interconnection application (2021 Interconnection Standards)
  • One-line drawing
  • Plan View (showing meter, disconnect switch and the production meter outside)

Commercial

Customers under Rate 20, 30, an 40 should read our Rate Schedules and our Standards for Interconnecting a Distributed Generation System. We cannot recommend installers, but we can recommend you talk to local installers, as they are most familiar to local ordinances and regulations as well as LELWD requirements. When an installer makes a proposal/estimate, make sure they are using LELD rates and charges. There is a $250 application fee that is required when applying for interconnection, and will only be processed if the interconnection project is completed. 

Commercial customers must follow the Standards for Interconnecting Distributed Generation.

Standards for Interconnecting Distributed Generation.

Commercial customers must have net metering and are subject to Rate 70 and should read and fully understand that rate.

Rate 70 (Net Metering)

System Size –The maximum allowable small business, small commercial, or small industrial (Rate 20 – Customer Demand less than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than a system that annually produces more than 50% of the energy of the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.

The maximum allowable large business, large commercial, or large industrial (Rate 30 and Rate 40 – Customer Demand greater than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than 50% of the highest monthly peak demand from the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.

MLP Solar Rebate Program

LELD is working with the Department of Energy Resources and our energy service agency, Energy New England, to make solar technology more affordable for our customers to adopt in renewable energy.

LELD has pledged a total of $105,000, which the DOER will match, for a potential total of $210,000 in program funds. The MLP Solar Program will award $1.20 per watt for approved projects, with LELD and the DOER both providing a matching contribution of $0.60. Awards will be dispensed on a first come, first served basis to solar projects that meet specific requirements

Rebate Process:

  1. Installer applies for interconnection to install with LELWD.
  2. If LELWD issues interconnection approval, the installer and customer can apply for the rebate.
  3. ENE reviews the application and validates all DOER data & requirements and gathers any missing info/documents.
  4. Once the app is complete, ENE sends application to DOER for approval to install/award reservation.
  5. If DOER approves, it issues an award letter and the installer completes installation, following LELWD’s completion process.
  6. Once installation is complete and final documents are submitted, ENE sends to DOER for payment/final approval
  7. If DOER approves payment, ENE invoices LELWD + DOER for payment to system owner
  8. Once ENE receives payments from both DOER & LELWD, ENE sends checks to homeowner on behalf of DOER & LELWD
  9. Upon payment receipt, ENE + DOER consider the project complete.

Questions? contact Energy New England at [email protected] 

Our Partners

FAQ

No, an LELD customer must own the property and the distributed generation in order to interconnect to LELD’s distribution system.  Any energy generated from a third party would have to be purchased directly by LELD through a purchased power agreement.

No, energy generated from a solar system must be applied to the meter of the account holder of record.  Applying the energy usage to another account or property is not permitted as that is considered retail wheeling and not allowed in LELD service territory.

The maximum allowable residential interconnection is the lesser of 15 kW (AC Rating) or a system sized estimated not to produce more annual energy than the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills. The lesser of 8 kW (AC Rating) is eligible for net metering.

The maximum allowable small business, small commercial, or small industrial (Rate 20 – Customer Demand less than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than a system that annually produces more than 50% of the energy of the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.

The maximum allowable large business, large commercial, or large industrial (Rate 30 and Rate 40 – Customer Demand greater than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than 50% of the highest monthly peak demand from the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.

Yes, however, if the battery is AC coupled (having it’s own inverter) then it will impact the system size allowed for total interconnection. If the battery is DC coupled, it will have no impact but should still be stated on the application.

LELD uses true bidirectional meters for distributed generation customers, not net meters. Therefore, any surplus energy that is returned to the grid is accounted for at that moment. LELD charges the customer for all of the power that’s purchased from LELD and credit the customer for all that is returned and that energy is captured in separate registers in the meter. Example, if you take 1,000 kWh from LELD in a month and give back 800 kWh, you would be charged for 1,000 kWh and credited for 800 kWh, not simply charged for 200 kWh. 

Important Information for all consumers receiving
Drinking Water from our system

— Translate it or speak with someone who understands it — Translations are on the PDF Version.

Important
Notice: This notice provides important information regarding your
drinking water and contaminants known as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
(PFAS). Although the most recent sampling results for Littleton Water
Department showed PFAS in the drinking water, the results were below the
current health guideline established by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (MassDEP). This notice provides information about MassDEP’s ongoing
efforts to address PFAS in drinking water and provide health-protective
guidelines.

The EPA in 2016
published a drinking water Health Advisory Level for two of the PFAS compounds
(Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, PFOS, and Perfluoroocatanoic acid, PFOA)
combined at 0.070 micrograms per liter (ug/L) or 70 parts per trillion (ppt).
In June 2018, MassDEP issued an Office of Research and Standards guideline
(ORSG) for drinking water of 0.070 ug/L or 70 ppt for five PFAS compounds
combined. Those compounds are PFOA (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid), PFOS
(Perfluorooctanoic acid), PFNA (Perfluorononanoic acid), PFHxS
(Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid) and PFHpA (Perfluoroheptanoic acid). The ORSG
was established to be protective against adverse health effects for all people
consuming the water for a lifetime and is also applicable to shorter-term
exposures of weeks to months during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

Based on the current ORSG, MassDEP has recommended that:

  1. consumers in sensitive subgroups (pregnant women,
    nursing mothers and infants) not consume water when the level of the five PFAS
    substances, individually or in combination, is above 70 ppt; and,
  2. public water suppliers take steps expeditiously to
    lower levels of the five PFAS, individually or in combination, to below 70 ppt
    for all consumers.

As part of the
agency’s efforts to address PFAS compounds, MassDEP continues to review the
current scientific information, studies and assessments on PFAS and based on
this evaluation, MassDEP is undertaking the following actions:

  1. MassDEP proposed draft amendments to the Massachusetts hazardous waste cleanup
    regulations (the Massachusetts Contingency Plan or “MCP”) that include
    groundwater and soil cleanup standards. Consistent with the proposed ORSG level
    described below, the proposed standard for groundwater that is currently used
    or could be used as drinking water is 20 ppt for the five compounds noted above
    plus PFDA (Perfluorodecanoic acid) (six total).
  • MassDEP’s Office of Research and Standards has
    convened its Health Effects Advisory Committee
    to provide input on the technical basis of the proposed MCP standards and its
    implication for a potential revised ORSG with a limit of 20 ppt for the sum of
    the six PFAS compounds.
  • MassDEP also recently began the process to develop a
    drinking water standard for public drinking
    water systems, known as a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), for the six PFAS
    compounds combined. Information on this effort, including information on
    stakeholder meetings, can be found at https://www.mass.gov/lists/development-of-a-pfas-drinking-water-standard-mcl.

What PFAS Levels have been detected in your
drinking water, and what should you do?

Samples
collected at the Spectacle Pond Water
Treatment Plant on June 19, 2019 and
confirmed on August 6, 2019 showed
an average total of 25 ppt for the
following six PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFHpA, and PFDA.

  • These results are below EPA’s and MassDEP’s current
    health advisory guidelines but they are above the new 20 ppt guideline now
    under consideration by MassDEP. If you
    are a sensitive consumer (pregnant women, nursing mothers, and infants) you can
    minimize your exposure by using bottled water that has been tested for PFAS
    for drinking, making infant formula and cooking foods that absorb water or
    use a home water treatment system that is certified to remove PFAS by an
    independent testing group such as NSF International, Underwriters Laboratories,
    Water Quality Association, or the CSA Group. See MassDEP PFAS Factsheet for
    more information at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
  • Boiling water will not destroy
    PFAS and will somewhat increase
    their levels due to evaporation of some of the water.
  • As PFAS compounds are not well absorbed through the
    skin, you may safely use the water for bathing and showering. If you are
    concerned about your exposure, even though the risk is very low, you may want to use bottled water for brushing
    your teeth and cleaning items like dentures, pacifiers, and fruits and vegetables.
  • If you have specific
    health concerns regarding your exposure, you may want to consult a
    health professional, such as your doctor.

What is our water system doing?

Our system has taken the following
actions:

  • Littleton Water Department is minimizing usage of the source with elevated PFAS levels (Spectacle Pond).
  • We are investigating alternative sources of water and treatment options.
  • Littleton Water Department’s other wells did not contain any combination of the six PFAS above 20 ppt.
  • We will continue to sample our water source for PFAS on a quarterly
    basis.
  • We are working as expeditiously as possible to install
    treatment to remove the PFAS from Spectacle Pond drinking water.
  • We are exploring interconnections with other public water systems to
    purchase drinking water.
  • We are also investigating the source of the PFAS with assistance from MassDEP.

What are PFAS and how are people exposed to them?

PFAS are
fluorinated organic chemicals. Two PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS
(perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) have been the most
extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. PFAS are contained in
firefighting foams, which have been used in training exercises and to
extinguish oil and gas fires at a variety of locations including airfields and
military installations. PFAS are also used in a number of industrial processes
and have been used to manufacture carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture,
paper packaging for food and other materials (e.g., nonstick cookware) that are
resistant to water, grease or stains. Because these chemicals have been used in
many consumer products, most people have been exposed to them.

While consumer products
and food are the largest source of exposure to these chemicals for most people,
drinking water can be an additional source of exposure in communities where
these chemicals have contaminated water supplies. Such contamination is
typically localized and associated with a specific facility, for example, an
airfield at which they were used for firefighting or a facility where these
chemicals were produced or used.

Where can I get more information?

For more
information on what our system is doing about this situation, please contact
Corey Godfrey at 978-540-2282, [email protected],
or 39 Ayer Road, Littleton.

You can also get more information
on PFAS from the following sources:

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:

PWS Name:
Littleton Water Department PWS ID#: 2158000

Date distributed: October 21,
2019

PDF Version
Click Here to Learn More on PFAS

ACOUSTIC STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED LELWD PEAK POWER GENERATORS

This study’s objective is to demonstrate that the proposed future peak power generators in Littleton (the “Project”) will comply with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“MassDEP”) Noise Policy for both broadband and tonal noise at the nearest residential property lines and residences and will comply with the Littleton Noise Bylaw.

See the full report here.