Salem Water Project With Planned Service Shutdowns Begins This Week

SALEM, MA — Salem was set to begin a planned water infrastructure improvement project this week to replace nine critical water valves in the city’s water distribution system.

The valves are in the Washington Square and Pleasant Street areas.

The upgrades are part of a proactive maintenance effort to improve the reliability and resiliency of Salem's water system, reduce the likelihood of future service interruptions, and provide greater operational flexibility during emergency repairs, routine maintenance, and future infrastructure projects.

The city said replacing aging valves now will help crews isolate sections of the water system when future work is needed, which can reduce how many people are affected by shutdowns and how long those shutdowns last.

Excavation work was set for Monday. Crews were scheduled to return at 5 p.m. Tuesday and work overnight until 5 a.m. Wednesday, with the planned water shutdown occurring after 9 p.m. Tuesday night.

A second overnight shift is planned from 5 p.m. Wednesday to 5 a.m. Thursday, with another planned shutdown after 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Final paving and site cleanup are scheduled for Friday.

Addresses affected by the planned shutdown will receive a direct notification from the Regroup alert system and a hand-delivered paper notice. The city said residents and visitors should expect temporary impacts tied to the work, including lane closures and traffic delays near work areas, construction-related noise during overnight work, temporary water service interruptions during scheduled shutdown periods, and temporarily reduced water pressure in some areas during certain phases of the project.

Some customers may see discolored water for a short time after service is restored. Discolored water can happen when naturally occurring mineral sediment in pipes is disturbed. Customers who notice discoloration should run cold water until it clears and should not run hot water while the water is discolored.

The shutdowns were scheduled overnight to lessen impacts on residents, downtown businesses and public services. The city also said overnight work reduces water demand on the system and allows crews to complete the valve installations as safely and efficiently as possible.

The valve work is part of $2,625,000 in budgeted water system upgrades and repairs planned across Salem for this fiscal year.