Notices

Lead Service Line Inventory
All public water systems in the US are undertaking a complete survey of the service lines throughout their distribution system. This is the first phase of identification and replacement of any lead service lines that may be present. You may have received a letter or door hanger related to this effort if we do not have adequate records for your service. We appreciate the prompt replies we have received by most of those we have reached out to. If you have been contacted by us on this matter but not reached out to us, please do so as soon as possible so we can complete our records and move on to planning for the next phase.

Water Meter Replacement
We are in a multi-year process of replacing old manually-read water meters with cellular serviced meters. Meters become inaccurate as their expected lifespans are exceeded and require replacement. The new meters will not only ensure accurate service delivery, but will aid us in identifying leaks in your system that are costing you more. You will receive prior notification when we are approaching your upgrade time. We will require access to your current meter to perform the work, normally located in a basement or crawlspace.

 

Alerts

Sunderland, as part of the Connecticut River Valley Region, is experiencing Significant Drought* (updated March 2026). This is a worsening drought condition from the previous month. Until conditions return to normal some steps must be followed to minimize water use.

  • The use of automated laws sprinklers is prohibited. Hand watering and drip irrigation is allowed at any time of day.

  • Nonessential outdoor water use, such as washing hard surfaces (sidewalks, patios, driveways, siding); personal vehicle or boat washing should be reduced.

  • Check toilets for leaks using toilet leak dye tablets. Place a tablet in the toilet reservoir and wait to see if any color appears in the bowl over time. If so, you have a leak that needs addressed. Fixing leaks will conserve water and save you money on your water bill. Click here for help.

You may wonder how we are experiencing worsening drought when the whole state has been blanketed in snow much of the winter. The deep frost layer acts as a cap that prevents melt water from seeping into the ground and replenishing groundwater. As such the majority of monitoring ground water wells are at historically lower levels. Streamflow has also been low because of the cold.

*Drought conditions are an assessment of conditions over time, including the previous month’s precipitation, streamflow, and groundwater conditions, and are not predictive like a weather forecast.