Have you been ignoring water meter MTU update notifications?

If so, your water may soon be shut off and fees charged for turning the water back on. Town staff, since October of 2024, has been reaching out to residents in south Tewksbury to upgrade their devices. A third-party contractor (Hydro Utilities) working for the town has been reaching out since April of 2025 for upgrades in north Tewksbury. Residents who receive a FINAL MANDATORY ACTION notice have fourteen (14) calendar days to make an appointment before shutoffs will begin. Once the water is off residents will incur a fee for the process of turning off and on the water.

Kindly refer to the formal notice below:

MTU Change Out Final Letter - South Tewksbury Approved (PDF)

Tewksbury PW-25-99 MTU Final Notice - Approved (PDF)

MTU Change Out Map - 2026 (PDF)

Mark your calendars for EPA's annual Fix a Leak Week, March 16 through 22, 2026, but remember that you can find and fix leaks inside and outside your home to save valuable water and money all year long. Water leaks aren’t always obvious and often go undetected.

Common areas to check are toilets, faucets, showerheads, hoses and irrigation systems. Even the smallest leak adds up over time. The average leak duration in Tewksbury, of known problems, is over 11 weeks, which is 2/3 of a full billing cycle. This means residents are paying hundreds and even thousands of dollars more each bill.

 The EPA has great resources for identifying and fixing leaks at https://www.epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week

As part of the Town’s water Meter Transmission Unit (MTU) upgrade program, residents have a built-in leak detection system to see if their property has an active leak. The system will not be able to say where the leak is but it is helpful to understand the duration and quantity of the leak. For information to sign up for free access to this system, please go to EyeOnWater Program Information (PDF) to see what information you need from your bill. For those still on the old system, the Town is working diligently to upgrade every meter but in the meantime, anyone can take a picture of their water meter dial to see the current reading. If no one uses water overnight another picture can be taken in the morning to see if the numbers have increased indicating a water leak.

Water Leak - Cost Example (PDF)

Water Leak - EPA Checklist (PDF)