Hull Water System Grapples with Aging Infrastructure as 64% of Pipes Exceed 50 Years
Weir River Water System officials outline replacement plans and improvements to address deteriorating pipes and reduce water main breaks across the community.
HULL - July 30 - Hull's water infrastructure faces significant challenges with nearly two-thirds of its pipeline system exceeding 50 years in age, officials from the Weir River Water System told the Select Board Tuesday evening.
Russell Tierney, representing the water system, presented a comprehensive update on the status of Hull's water infrastructure, revealing that 64% of pipes are over 50 years old. Some pipes reach 75 years in age, with varying conditions throughout the system.
"Currently, our water system is 64% of pipe over 50 years," Tierney said. "Some of those pipes at 75 years are in really good shape, but then again, some are not."
The aging infrastructure contributes to water main breaks throughout the system. The Weir River Water System maintains over 200 miles of pipeline, 12,500 service connections, 1,250 fire hydrants and over 3,000 gate valves across Hull, Hingham and North Cohasset.
Current break rates show improvement compared to previous ownership. The system now experiences 10.7 breaks per 100 miles of pipe annually, down from 16.3 breaks per 100 miles under prior management. This rate falls below the American Water Works Association threshold of 14 breaks per 100 miles and compares favorably to the national average of 19 breaks per 100 miles.
"Prior to the purchase of the water system, it was 16.3 breaks per 100 miles, and then now it's 10.7 breaks per 100 miles," Tierney explained.
The water system has completed significant capital improvements over the past four years, replacing 23,500 linear feet of water main ranging from 8 to 12 inches in diameter. Officials installed 84 additional fire hydrants and added 18 new gate valves throughout the system.
Future replacement plans focus on Hull's Manomet and Samoset Aves. The Department of Public Works has been working on grants to completely reconstruct both streets, and the water system is preparing designs to replace water lines before road reconstruction begins.
"We did start designing Samoset last year, but when John told me that it was on hold, it kind of pushed it a little bit to the back," Tierney said. "But I'm gonna have a contract in our hands in the next two to three weeks to completely design Manomet and Samoset."
A major project on Route 3A from the rotary on Summer Street in Hingham will replace two miles of 12-inch main that is 100 years old. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation expanded the project scope, requiring coordination with the water system's replacement schedule.
The new storage tank at Strawberry Hill represents a key component of future improvements. Construction is expected to begin next spring, with the tank providing pressure stabilization and additional storage for high-demand periods.
"The tank, again, is a big positive towards this because it's gonna give us capacity and larger velocities down here," Tierney said.
Water main breaks result from multiple factors including temperature changes, thermal expansion, freezing and thawing, groundwater movement, soil erosion and system age. The water system plans to implement unidirectional flushing to improve water quality and reduce discolored water during breaks.
This advanced flushing technique closes certain valves to redirect water flow, increasing velocity to 3-4 feet per second to scour mains and clean accumulated sediment. The process requires extensive valve maintenance, with plans to double the current valve inspection program from 300 to 600 gate valves annually.
"What that does is scours the main, and what you're doing is reversing the flows," Tierney explained. "So if the flow of that water main went from right to left, when you redirect it, you go from left to right, and then what you do is you scour the main and it cleans it out."
The system will deploy new pressure data loggers after water main breaks to identify potential closed gate valves that could cause additional problems. Officials are also working to reinstall a pressure recording system using existing vaults throughout the network.
Water conservation remains important for system stability. Officials ask residents to follow odd-even watering schedules and limit lawn watering to two days per week during conservation periods.
"If all of our customers would comply with our water conservation efforts, and we're not saying water bans, we would not have any problems," Tierney said. "We would absolutely not."
The water system plans to upgrade its meter reading system with Advanced Metering Infrastructure, allowing daily readings instead of quarterly visits. The project will likely proceed in three stages, with Hull potentially receiving the first phase within the next year.
Customer service operations will transition to Hull Municipal Light Plant next year, providing additional staffing and reducing wait times for residents calling with questions or concerns.
Other major items from the meeting included:
• Select Board approved an all-alcohol entertainment license for MCC Martini Inc., doing business as Boathouse Bistro Beachfront at 43 Hull Shore Drive
• Town Accountant Mike Buckley received approval for $351,158 in fiscal year-end budget transfers, funded by health insurance surplus
• Board recognized retiring employees Leo Dauphinais (40 years as plumbing and gas inspector) and Janice Lichtenberg (45 years as building department administrator)
• Jason McCann was appointed as liaison to Plymouth County Advisory Board
• Chris Gardner was appointed to serve on South Shore Recycling Collaborative
• Green Hill Improvement Association received approval for their annual regatta on Aug. 16