Bridgewater Conservation Commission Approves Emergency Continuation of Town Well Construction

BRIDGEWATER — June 11, 2026 — Bridgewater Conservation Commission unanimously approves emergency continuation of drinking water treatment construction at wells 10A and 10B on Plymouth Street. The commission voted Thursday to allow Bridgewater DPW to continue building manganese, iron, and PFAS treatment infrastructure — including a planned backwash lagoon approximately 75 feet wide and 200 feet long — while an after-the-fact Notice of Intent is prepared. DPW Director Azu Tuniru presented 2005 and 2008 aerial imagery to argue the lagoon footprint had not been disturbed since at least 2008 and that both the state Division of Capital Asset Management and the regional DEP office had issued emergency certifications supporting the work. Test pits using a 330-class excavator are scheduled for Tuesday morning to delineate subsurface conditions before the NOI is filed. In a separate enforcement matter, the commission issued a cease-and-desist against Bridgewater State University for filling within a wetland buffer zone near Great Hill Drive, with BSU representatives expected at the June 25 meeting to present soil characterization data that Conservation Agent Dan Levesque said currently lacks any chemical analysis.