Iron and Manganese Removal in West Brookfield, MA
The West Brookfield Water Department (WBWD) is taking an important step toward improving drinking water quality and protecting public health with planned upgrades to the Leland Road Pump Station. The project will introduce new treatment to remove iron and manganese from the town’s groundwater supply, helping ensure compliance with regulatory standards while improving the overall quality and reliability of drinking water for the community.
Tata & Howard has been contracted to provide design, permitting, and bidding services for the project, which will add a new filtration facility at the Leland Road well site.
Addressing Iron and Manganese
WBWD’s water system relies on five groundwater wells that serve approximately 2,555 residents. Well 01G supplies the Ware Point Road Treatment Facility, while Wells 03G through 06G feed the Leland Road Pump Station before entering the town’s distribution system. Currently, the Leland Road Pump Station provides chemical treatment using potassium hydroxide for pH adjustment and calcium hypochlorite tablets for oxidation and disinfection. However, the facility does not include filtration treatment.
Recent water quality monitoring has shown increasing levels of iron and manganese in several of the wells serving the Leland Road facility. Iron concentrations have exceeded the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) of 0.3 milligrams per liter (mg/L), while manganese concentrations have consistently exceeded the SMCL of 0.05 mg/L.
Additionally, manganese has exceeded the health advisory of 0.3 mg/L. As a result, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is requiring the Town to install a treatment system to address iron and manganese levels.
Why Manganese Removal Is Important
Iron and manganese are naturally occurring elements often found in groundwater. While they are traditionally classified as secondary contaminants, manganese is increasingly recognized as an emerging contaminant with potential health implications.
Research has shown that prolonged exposure to elevated manganese levels may impact neurological development, particularly in infants and young children. For this reason, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established a lifetime health advisory of 0.3 mg/L for manganese.
Addressing these contaminants will not only improve the appearance and taste of the town’s drinking water but also ensure compliance with evolving health guidance and regulatory requirements.
A Treatment Solution for the Future
To address these water quality challenges, WBWD plans to install a GreensandPlus™ pressure filtration system at the Leland Road Pump Station. This technology is widely used for removing iron and manganese from groundwater supplies.
The new treatment facility will be housed in a separate building constructed adjacent to the existing pump station. The building will include three 7-foot diameter GreensandPlus™ filter vessels designed to treat water from Wells 03G through 06G.
Additional upgrades will include improvements to chemical feed systems, well pump upgrades, and enhancements to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for improved monitoring and operational control.
Pilot testing previously conducted for the site demonstrated that GreensandPlus™ filtration can reliably reduce iron and manganese concentrations to below treatment goals of 0.1 mg/L for iron and 0.025 mg/L for manganese, providing a long-term solution for maintaining water quality.
Funding Support Makes the Project Possible
For a small community like West Brookfield, major infrastructure investments can be difficult to fund through local water rates alone. The Leland Road Pump Station upgrade is estimated to cost approximately $6.24 million, a significant investment for a system with only about 1,000 water customers.
The Town is receiving important financial assistance to help make the project possible. The project will receive funding through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) program, which provides low-interest loans to communities for critical water infrastructure projects. The loan is expected to carry a two percent interest rate with potential principal forgiveness, reducing the financial burden on the community.
In addition, the project has secured $1 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding, as well as a $500,000 Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant to support the treatment improvements.
Financial assistance of this kind is essential for small water systems. As noted by the Town, without additional funding beyond the basic SRF loan, the cost of constructing the treatment facility would place a significant strain on the water department’s budget and could require major water rate increases.
Protecting West Brookfield’s Water Supply
Once completed, the Leland Road Pump Station upgrade will significantly improve drinking water quality for West Brookfield residents by removing iron and manganese and ensuring compliance with state guidelines. More importantly, the project will provide the community with a long-term solution that strengthens the reliability and safety of its drinking water system for years to come.
