Flushing of Pittsfield's Water System to Begin

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city of Pittsfield's Department of Public Utilities announces that phase 1 of the flushing of the city's water system will begin Monday, April 22.
 
Water mains throughout the city will be flushed, through hydrants, over the upcoming weeks to remove accumulations of pipeline corrosion products. Mains will be flushed Monday through Friday each week, except holidays, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
 
  • The upcoming flushing for April 22 to May 3 is expected to affect the following areas:
  • Starting at the town line on Dalton Avenue working west through Coltsville including lower Crane Avenue, Meadowview neighborhood, following Cheshire Road north.
  • Hubbard Avenue and Downing Parkway.
  • Starting at the town line on East Street working west through the McIntosh and Parkside neighborhoods.
  • Elm Street neighborhoods west to the intersection of East Street.
  • Starting at the town line on Williams Street, working west including Mountain Drive,
  • Ann Drive, East New Lenox Road, and Holmes Road neighborhoods.
Although flushing may cause localized discolored water and reduced service pressure conditions in and around the immediate area of flushing, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that proper levels of treatment and disinfections are maintained in the system at all times. If residents experience discolored water, they should let the water run for a short period to clear it prior to use.
 
If discolored water or low-pressure conditions persist, please contact the Water Department at (413) 499-9339.
 
Flushing is an important operating procedure that contributes significantly to the maintenance of the water quality in the water distribution system. 

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Pittsfield Council to See $216M FY25 Budget, Up 5%

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Peter Marchetti has proposed a $216 million budget for fiscal year 2025, a 5 percent increase from the previous year.

Budget season will kick off on Monday with a special meeting of the City Council containing several financial items, one being an order to raise and appropriate $216,155,210 for the city's operating budget. This begins the council's process of departmental spending deliberations with a budget adoption before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

This is about a $10 million hike from FY24's $205,584,497 budget.

Early in the term, the council supported a divisive petition requesting a budget that is "close to level-funded" due to concerns about tax increases. This would come with cuts to employment and city services, Marchetti warned, but said the administration was working to create a proposal that is "between level funded and a level service funded."

When the School Committee OK'd a $82.8 million spending plan, he revealed that the administration "couldn't get to a level service funded budget."

The Pittsfield Police Department budget is proposed to rise 4 percent from $14,364,673 in FY24 to $14,998,410, an increase of about $614,000. A 2.5 percent increase is proposed for the Department of Public Services, rising about $287,000 from $11,095,563 in FY24 to $11,382,122.

Marchetti also submitted a Five Year Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2025-2029 that he called a "roadmap for the future."

A public hearing is planned for May 13.

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