Groveland sets Nov. 9 start for water line excavations

The Groveland Water and Sewer Department announced Oct. 30 details of its upcoming Service Line Identification project, part of a nationwide program to identify all water service line materials and remove any lead or galvanized lines.

This phase covers parts of Center Street, Washington Street, Salem Street, King Street, Rollins Street, Ashcroft Terrace, Balch Avenue and Fairview Circle, affecting approximately 270 services. The department said Groveland has not identified any lead or galvanized service lines to date; its lines are mostly copper and plastic, with steel pipe on rare occasions.

Letters were mailed Oct. 30 to residents included in this project, and door hangers will be left on homes in advance of work on their property. Dig-Safe mark-outs have been underway for a few weeks and will continue until all services have been identified. On Nov. 3, workers from the Massachusetts Rural Water Association, a nonprofit trade group serving rural water and wastewater systems, will assist town staff with the mark-outs.

Excavations are set to begin Nov. 9, performed by J&Z Excavation of Haverhill using mini-excavators and Hydro-Vac trucks. The department said it aims to use the Hydro-Vac method as much as possible because it is less disruptive, creating a hole roughly 2 feet in diameter around the buried water shut-off. The contractor expects to complete 12 to 20 properties per day using that method, though a day-to-day schedule is not feasible because conditions vary.

A crew will follow the Hydro-Vac truck to restore excavation areas, spreading loam and grass seed on lawns. Excavations involving asphalt or other special conditions will be grouped together for a more methodical repair plan, aiming to avoid leftover gravel patches in sidewalks, roadway gutters or driveways, and to avoid disturbing plantings, patios or walkways.

The department thanked residents for their patience during the project and said questions can be directed to 978-556-7220.

Source: Town of Groveland announcement, October 30, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement. It was corrected where it differed.