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Greenfield DPW director: Dredging of Leyden Glen Reservoir ‘on schedule’

Posted on July 4, 2022

Just about a foot and a half of water remains at the Leyden Glen Reservoir as the city moves forward with the reservoir’s first full dredging since 1988.

“Periodic dredging is required to eliminate organics that accumulate over time and reduce the capacity of the reservoir,” explained Department of Public Works Director Marlo Warner II. “The organics also require more water treatment to meet drinking water standards. This project will position the reservoir to serve the community for another 20 to 25 years.”

Warner said that over time, the organic material that builds up at the bottom of the reservoir causes turbidity, or cloudiness.

“It’s nothing harmful, but we have to treat it, otherwise the water would be discolored,” he explained. “The more turbidity you have, the more costly it is for the water to enter and exit the (treatment) facilities.”

The reservoir, located in neighboring Leyden, provides roughly one-third of Greenfield’s fire protection and drinking water, Warner said. The Green River and Millbrook Well field provide the rest of the city’s water supply.

In late May, the Department of Public Works began lowering the water level, a process expected to take about a month. Once fully drained, soil samples will be taken and sent to a lab for the Department of Environmental Protection to review.

“We’re looking at the end of July to actually start removing the material,” Warner said. About 50,000 cubic yards of sediment is expected to be removed, according to a city press release.

Warner said the $532,850 project — funded through the city’s Water Enterprise Fund — is “on schedule and going as planned.” The work is being done by Maverick Construction Management Services.

The Leyden Glen Reservoir has a capacity of about 44 million gallons of water and has been owned by the city since the late 1800s, according to Warner. A partial dredging was performed in the late 1990s when repairs were made to the dam.

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