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JACKMAN UTILITY DISTRICT
Jackman Utility District: Then, Now and the Future
“I remember way back when…”
Big Wood
Pond has served as Jackman and Moose River’s primary
source of water since 1913. In 1913 Father Joseph Forest started a corporation
called Jackman Water, Light and Power Company. The purpose of the corporation was to
furnish water and distribute electricity in Jackman, Moose River and
Dennistown. In 1963 Paul Bartley
purchased the Jackman Water, Light and Power Company. The water taken from Big Wood Pond after
this date is known to be chlorinated.
In 1971 the Company was sold to the Jackman Water District. In 1995 an addition was added to the exiting
Jackman Sewer District building and the new Jackman Water District Treatment
Plant was constructed and completed in 1996. The water taken from the Pond after this
date is filtered and chlorinated.
Jackman
Utility District provides drinking water to about 1,000 people. Big Wood Pond is a 2,150-acre pond
located west of Jackman. The
17,050-acre watershed of Big Wood Pond is located primarily in Dennistown
Plantation, Attean, Jackman and Bradstreet
townships. Approximately 90% of the
Big Wood Pond watershed is timberland.
Residential and commercial development in Jackman occupies
approximately 2% of the watershed.
Recreation is a major part of the Jackman economy and Big Wood Pond
is an integral part of local recreation.
The pond is used for recreational activities including fishing,
boating and swimming. Road
registered vehicle can access the pond in winter. We encourage all users of
Big Wood Pond to take into consideration that the lake is our public
drinking water source when enjoying the lake and surrounding
watershed.
“It must be something in the water…”
Water is pumped
from the intake to the direct filtration plant, located at 28 Walton
Street.
The treatment plant is made up of two treatment units that filter
out material in the water using coagulants that make the particles
sticky. The water then flows into a
60,000-gallon clear well where it is chlorinated. Soda Ash is added to boost the pH to
around a 7.8. After treatment, the
water is pumped to a 200,000 gallon covered reservoir located south of
Jackman where it enters the distribution system. The average daily water
pumped is 60,000 gallons.
The
distribution system is made up of about 7.5 miles of water mains serving
approximately 430 service connections.
Within this system there are 35 public and 5 private fire
hydrants.
“All those operators do is
ride around and drink coffee…”
We would
like to thank our customers for assisting the District in its process to
attain compliance with the existing laws requiring all water service
connections be equipped with a backflow prevention device. An assessment of each customer’s water
service determines the type of back flow prevention device required. We are currently 80% in compliance and
have replaced 95% of the old water meters.
We hope to have both projects completed by the fall of 2009.
We have been
in the process of replacing old fire hydrants that are functioning but
whose replacement parts are no longer available. We replaced 2 hydrants in 2006, 2 in
2007, and 1 in 2008. We have
purchased and plan to replace 2 more in 2009. We had 1 water main break in June 2008
while flushing the water mains, and had to shut down most of the water main
during a hydrant replacement in 2008.
Both were repaired and service was restored.
In 2007 the
District successfully extended its existing intake line another 150 feet
out into Big Wood Pond. This made
the total intake line approximately 600 feet long with 18 feet of cover.
“A bunch of beavers must have
come in the night and cut all my trees down.”
One of the best ways to protect our water
quality is to provide a buffer between roadways and houses, and the
lake. A buffer is simply grass,
shrubs, and trees whose roots will reach down into the soil holding it in
place. When it rains water runs
along the top of the ground and picks up debris, pollutants and loose soil. This eventually washes into the
lake. A buffer will slow this
process down allowing the ground more time to soak up the water and filter
out most of what it is carrying.
Watershed
Protection
“What we got here…is a bunch
of tree huggers.”
Jackman
Utility District owns a very small portion of the waterfront land around
Big Wood Pond. The rest is
unprotected and increasingly being developed putting the sole
responsibility of watershed protection in the hands of homeowners and
timberland companies. As development
brings roads, houses and other human activity into our watershed,
pollutants are washed into the water supply. JUD spends thousands of dollars a year on
filtration and treatment required by more stringent federal laws to take
contaminants out of the water and provide safe drinking water to the
communities of Jackman and Moose River. Filtration and treatment only reduce the
amount of contamination present in water supplies; they do not prevent
it. Many residents are concerned
about the integrity of Jackman and Moose River’s land and
water resources.
All
the water that falls within the Big Wood watershed eventually flows as
runoff directly into Big Wood Lake, or into
streams and tributaries that feed the lake.
This water carries with it oil and toxic metals from roads,
pesticides from lawns, animal waste and several other contaminants. Many scientists and regulators now
consider pollution from runoff the largest threat to water quality.
JUD
is asking members of the community surrounding the Big Wood Watershed to
help protect this valuable water resource for human consumption,
recreational uses, and habitat survival.
Below are some simple steps you can make in your everyday activities
that will help protect the Big Wood Watershed.
Lakefront owners:
·
Do not rake up the duff layer of leaves and
pine needles that build up under trees.
These leaves act like a sponge and filter, to help prevent
pollutants from getting into the lake.
As a lakefront owner it is one of the best things you can do to
protect lake water.
·
When using cleaning agents, use natural
products like baking soda and lemon juice.
This will save money and protect your health along with natural
resources.
·
Paint or stain docks away from the lake and
allow at least 14 days for drying before putting them in the water. Make sure to clean brushes, etc. away
from the water to prevent materials from washing into the lake.
·
Check the shoreline and other areas around the
property for soil erosion. Stabilize
these areas with vegetation or rocks.
If more than minor maintenance and repair is required, or if
structural measures are necessary, contact your local code enforcement
officer and the DEP to determine if permits are needed before doing
work.
·
Check your septic system’s leach field for any
breakouts and consider having the tank pumped if it has not been pumped in
the last 3 years. A properly
functioning septic system prevents harmful pollutants from getting into the
lake.
·
When preparing your boat for the season, make
sure to dispose of drained lubricating oils properly. Wash the boat away from the water. Check to be sure the boat and motor are
free of hitchhiking plants and tune the motor.
Recreational users:
·
Be sure the boat and motor is free of
hitchhiking plants before putting it into the lake. Make sure the motor is running properly
and that there are no leaking fluids.
When bringing gasoline and/or oil out on the lake be careful not to
spill excess fluids in the lake when filling up.
·
When camping or at the beach dispose of human
and pet waste appropriately; in an outhouse or restroom or buried in the
ground away from the shoreline.
·
If you use the lake for bathing or washing
(humans, dogs, laundry, or dishes) use environmentally friendly soaps and
detergents.
For more information visit
the Department of Environmental Protection’s website at www.Maine.gov
If you have a
question about the Jackman Utility District, please click here to send an
email.
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If you have questions or comments about any
aspect of the Jackman region web site, click here to send an email
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