Water Supply
Pleasant Valley Water Plant supplies an average of about 1 to 1.5 million gallons of quality water daily to the Town of Brattleboro, depending on season. Water is taken from Pleasant Valley Reservoir, a surface water supply.
Click here to learn more about forest management at the Pleasant Valley Reservoir.
During periods of drought and high water usage, this system can reach its capacity. Brattleboro has a backup system of wells located on Route 30 north of the Retreat. The wells are operated two days a week for a few hours each day to keep them in running order.
On August 20, 2024, the Town celebrated the completion of an upgraded water treatment facility, which incorporates modern technology and enhanced systems to meet current and future water needs in Brattleboro. To ensure that water delivery remained seamless throughout construction, the new facility was built alongside the previous plant, which was originally constructed in 1989.
The upgraded facility uses a source water heat pump system to heat and cool the building in a more sustainable way than the old plant, which was heated with oil. When potable water enters the building, it’s divided between the treatment facility and the heating system. All the components of the heating system are certified for drinking water. The water used for heating will eventually collect in the clear well beneath the building before it’s pumped back into the 3-million-gallon storage tank for distribution.