Holyoke Water Works

Not to be confused with the Holyoke Water Power Company, a defunct energy utility.
Holyoke Water Works
Official wordmark of the HWW
Agency overview
Formed7 March 1872
(152 years ago) (1872-03-07)
TypeMunicipal
JurisdictionHolyoke & Southampton
Headquarters20 Commercial Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
Employees25 (2016)[1]
Annual budget$5,373,834 (FY 2017)[2]
Agency executives
  • David M. Conti, General Manager
  • Matt Smith, Supervisor, Source of Supply
Parent departmentHolyoke Board of Water Commissioners
Key document
  • An Act to Supply the Town of Holyoke with Pure Water (1872, c. 62)
Websitewww.holyoke.org/departments/water-works

The Holyoke Water Works (HWW), sometimes referred to as the Holyoke Reservoir System, is a public drinking water utility and municipal service agency of the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts, which provides clean drinking water to that city. Founded in 1872 by an act of Massachusetts General Court, the system was developed as a series of reservoirs to serve the growing city's residents and industry at the end of the 19th century. Today its two primary drinking water sources are the Tighe-Carmody Reservoir in Southampton, Massachusetts and McLean Reservoir in Holyoke. While it maintains reserve drinking water supplies at the Ashley and the Whiting Street Reservoirs.[3]

The Water Works is entirely responsible for drinking water supplies, infrastructure, and watershed land conservancy, however it does not maintain sewage or stormwater treatment infrastructure or services, which fall under the responsibilities Department of Public Works.[4][5]

  1. ^ Plaisance, Mike (February 21, 2016). "Holyoke water rates increased for 1st time since 2009 but next could come sooner". Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. For example, Water Works had 48 employees in 2000 and today has 25
  2. ^ City of Holyoke, Massachusetts; Appropriations Budget for the Fiscal Year, July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 (Report). City of Holyoke. 2016. p. 4.
  3. ^ The Holyoke Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee. City of Holyoke, Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (PDF) (Report). Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-09.
  4. ^ "Public Works". City of Holyoke. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  5. ^ Plaisance, Mike (January 11, 2018). "Warnings and water shut off looming for Holyoke sewer bill delinquents". MassLive. Springfield, Mass.