Harwich Water Department Facilities

Harwich Water Department's Groundwater supplies are a limited resource. The Harwich Water Department draws its water from a aquifer call the Monomoy Lens. Harwich has high-yield aquifers, as do some of our nearby towns. Forty percent of the District's supply was temporarily lost in 1977 due to organic chemical contamination of two of the Department's wells. Although clean up of the site and treatment of the wells have allowed these sources to come back on-line, this incident emphasized the importance of both ongoing source water protection and conservation efforts.

The Town of Harwich is supplied by groundwater from eleven (11) gravel packed wells and one tubular wellfield that are located in South, East and North Harwich, which draw water from the Monomoy Lens Aquifer.

The Main Station Well and Stations One (1) through Four (4) are located off of Chatham Road, behind the Water Department's main office and garages. Stations Five (5), Six (6) and Seven (7) are located off Depot Road in South Harwich, next to the bike path. Stations Eight (8) and Nine (9) are off Bay Road in East Harwich, Station Ten (10) is in North Harwich off North Westgate Road on the Brewster Town line, and Station Eleven (11) is located off Pleasant Bay Road in East Harwich.

Water Quality
Due primarily to local geological conditions, certain wells provide better water quality than do others. If there is adequate storage to meet demand, the Department can manage the system to optimize the quality of the water. As demand increases, so too does the need to operate all wells, including those that may provide water with a taste or odor that is objectionable to some customers.

Infrastructure Costs
For most parts, infrastructure of the Harwich Water Department (tanks, pipes, pumps) is built to meet peak demand. By reducing peak demand, we can reduce the overall cost of providing water.