Gardner’s vendor, Veolia confirmed in a Press Release, CLICK HERE, that “the water in the Gardner system has met and continues to meet all regulatory standards.”
Update 7-24-26 11:36am: The City of Gardner anticipates that the Snake Pond Facility will be online by Monday. As Dane Arnold informed us “We are hoping Snake Pond Well is on-line by Monday. It would be on now, but Comcast cannot get communications to work between the plant and Veolia operator..”
Gardner Magazine will provide further updates when we receive more information.
City of Gardner Addressing Water Taste and Odor Reports from Residents
As reports came in from Gardner residents over the past few days, the City of Gardner worked immediately to ensure that the water was safe and to address water taste and odor issues.
Gardner Magazine reached out to the City of Gardner and received this response from DPW Director Dane Arnold on July 24, 2026:
“Good morning
The Water Department and Veolia are aware of reports of discoloration, taste, and odor issues affecting portions of the City’s water system.
The City’s drinking water is treated through our ultra-filtration facility and continues to meet or exceed all state and federal regulatory requirements for safe drinking water.
We believe the issue is related to seasonal changes in one of our water sources, an open reservoir. Recent high temperatures, low precipitation, and ongoing drought conditions have likely contributed to these changes, making the taste and odor more noticeable throughout the system.
To help address the issue, additives will be applied to the raw water as part of the treatment process, and the City will bring our secondary water source, the Snake Pond Well, online to supplement the system with approximately 1 million gallons of water per day.
We are hopeful these measures will improve the taste and odor of the water in the coming days. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve the issue.
Thank you, Dane E. Arnold – Director of Public Works”