The Lynnfield Water District marks its 100th year of providing water service to the residents and businesses on the south side of Lynnfield.
Before 1924, locals depended on private wells for drinking water, but as these wells began to dry up, the need for a centralized public water system became apparent. In response, resident Ernest P. Lane petitioned for the establishment of a water system for South Lynnfield. This initiative led to the creation of the Lynnfield Water District on June 2, 1924, under the Chapter 445 Enabling Acts of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. At its inception, the system consisted of three and a half miles of water mains, and served 124 residential customers.
On December 17, 1924, Lane, acting as temporary Chairman, called the first official meeting of the Lynnfield Water District. During this meeting, he and other local citizens voted to establish the District by accepting the provisions of the Chapter 445 Act of the Legislature of 1924.
The initial Board of Commissioners, consisting of George E. Pillsbury, Curtis G. Metzler, Frank L. Cass, John T. O’Donnell, and J. Hammond Stewart, approved a budget of $1,000 to investigate potential water sources. Originally, the District sourced its water from the city of Lynn. In 1957, it connected to the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), which became the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) in 1985. To this day, the District continues to source water from the MWRA. Currently, the Lynnfield Water District distribution system is comprised of 33 miles of water mains, and serves over 1,450 residential, commercial, and municipal customers, including the MarketStreet mall.
Over the past century, the District has experienced remarkable changes which reflect the growth and evolution of the community as well as the continually changing and more complex water quality regulations. The Board of Commissioners continues to meet monthly, ensuring that the mission of providing reliable, clean drinking water is upheld through ongoing system updates and maintenance.
Notable improvements throughout the District’s history include the transition from the City of Lynn system, the construction of two water storage tanks and a pumping station, the implementation of radio-read meters, and the installation of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
As the District celebrates its centennial year, it takes pride in the deep community roots, a history of accomplishments, a tradition of service and technological advances, all of which have shaped Lynnfield Water District into a lifeline for the area.
