Sudden water disruptions can occur for multiple reasons, including:

• Water Main Break: There is a break, hole, or crack in the water main, and the pipe is leaking. Typically, multiple customers in the neighborhood experience a sudden water disruption when a water main breaks. Common signs of a water main break include low water pressure affecting multiple customers and water bubbling up on the street.
• Water Service Line Break: The service line that feeds your home is broken. Typically, only one or a few customers are affected by a service line break. Common signs of a water service line break are low water pressure, discolored water, or water bubbling up in your yard, on the street, or on the sidewalk.
• Damage to Water Infrastructure: Other utilities and contractors conduct business in the public right-of-way, street, and sidewalk. Whenever digging occurs, there is a chance our infrastructure will be damaged. Or if a fire hydrant is struck by a vehicle, it can trigger a sudden water emergency.

Water main pipes are underground pipes that carry drinking water and fire protection to homes and businesses. Each home and business connected to the District’s water supply is supplied from a water main.

There are several causes of water main breaks, including pressure changes within a water main and temperature-related changes. As the ground around water pipes freezes and thaws, they expand and contract, sometimes leading to failure. Typically, water main break season begins in late fall, October, and continues through early spring, March. Other factors contributing to water main breaks can include:

• Pipe age and material
• Pipe condition due to corrosion, weakened structural integrity, or normal wear and tear
• Nearby construction activities
• Normal water system operations

The District must shut off the water to necessitate repairs to the water main. These types of repairs are similar to when a plumber makes an internal repair to a pipe in your home.

The District recommends customers not to use water during disruptions. By following this recommendation, you will reduce the risk of discolored water, sediment, and air bubbles/pockets from entering your plumbing.

Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed timeframe for completing the repair. Depending on the complexity of the break, weather conditions, and other factors, it can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, or even longer. Please check our website for the most up-to-date information.

Unfortunately, emergency water disruptions such as water main breaks and damage to the District’s infrastructure are unplanned, so the District cannot notify customers in advance. However, if a planned water disruption is required for routine maintenance or infrastructure improvements/repairs, the District will provide at least 24 hours’ notice.

Updates about emergency and planned water disruptions are always available on our website.

If an emergency water disruption is widespread and affects many customers, the District will post information on its Facebook, Instagram, and X pages.

Please call the District at 781-329-7090. Our regular business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. If a water main break occurs outside our regular business hours, we have staff on call to address the emergency.