Lowell, MA was built where the Merrimack and Concord rivers meet, and the city still lives with that water. Our team handles water damage restoration across all four ZIPs, with a strong focus on water mitigation for multi-unit and older buildings. Emergency dispatch is available 24/7, and crews bring extraction units, thermal cameras and dehumidifiers.
The city is northwest of Tewksbury, and Tewksbury's wastewater travels to the Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility, so the two places share more infrastructure than most neighbors.
Lowell at a glance
Middlesex County city northwest of Tewksbury, with ZIPs 01850, 01851, 01852 and 01854.
Merrimack River supplies the city. The Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility also receives Tewksbury's sewage.
I-495, US Route 3, the Lowell Connector, and Routes 3A, 38, 110, 113 and 133. The MBTA Lowell Line also serves the city.
The Merrimack and Concord meet here. Pawtucket Falls drops 32 feet, and about 5.6 miles of canals are largely restored.
Emergency dispatch is available around the clock for Lowell, in every neighborhood and building type.
Where the Merrimack and Concord rivers meet
The Merrimack at Lowell hit 53.63 feet on March 16, 2010 (minor flood) and 54.64 feet on April 1 (moderate). The Concord River gauge at Lowell set a record of 9.74 feet in mid-March of that year. Those figures are a reminder to check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center for your address, particularly if you rent a ground-floor unit.
Standard homeowners and commercial policies do not cover flood damage, per the Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Tenants should ask their landlord what the building's policy includes and check their own renters coverage.
When water is spreading in Lowell
In a multi-unit building, one failed fixture can soak three floors. Emergency dispatch for Lowell runs around the clock, and the faster the water stops, the fewer units it reaches. Shut the shutoff for the unit if there is one, and tell the building manager right away.
Water in apartments moves down through floor assemblies, along pipe chases and into the ceilings below. A water mitigation crew checks the units above and below the source, not only the one where the stain appeared.
Canals, Pawtucket Falls and the brooks
Pawtucket Falls is a roughly one-mile set of rapids with a 32-foot drop, and the Pawtucket Dam diverts river water into the canal system. About 5.6 miles of canals have been largely restored within Lowell National Historical Park. Beaver Brook separates Pawtucketville from Centralville, and River Meadow (Hale's) Brook runs mostly through a man-made channel.
Buildings along canals and brooks sit on ground that has been wet for centuries. If your basement is near one, ask a restoration crew to check for seepage as well as for the visible leak, then book water damage cleanup for any soaked contents.
Mill buildings turned into apartments
Former mill buildings have been adapted into residential units and offices. Thick timber floors, brick walls and long runs of pipe make drying slower than in a modern wood-frame house. Crews often stage dehumidifiers and air movers across several floors at once.
The census counted 41,431 housing units in 2010, and a large share of them are older. If you manage one, keep shutoff locations posted and call for mold remediation support once a leak has been stopped and moisture still shows on the meter.
Four ZIPs, eight neighborhoods
Lowell uses four ZIP codes. 01850 is Centralville, and 01851 is the Highlands, the most populous neighborhood with almost a quarter of residents. 01852 covers Downtown, Belvidere, Back Central and South Lowell. 01854 takes in Pawtucketville, the Acre and the UMass Lowell North Campus.
Belvidere sits on drumlins, including Fort Hill, so tell dispatch whether you are on the hill or on the flat ground below. The city draws its water from the Merrimack, with an intake west of the city and a half-mile pump to the plant. Roads include I-495, US Route 3, the Lowell Connector and Routes 3A, 38, 110, 113 and 133.
Chelmsford and Billerica are both neighbors, and crews cross those lines every week.
If water is still spreading in Lowell
Stop the water
Look for the shutoff under the unit's sink, behind the toilet or at a mechanical room. In a large building, tell the manager to close the riser.
Dry panel, then power
Switch off the breakers for wet rooms only if the panel is dry and safely reachable. Wet panels, sparking or a gas smell mean calling the utility or 911 before you do anything else.
Move it up
Pull electronics, documents and bedding off the floor. In apartments, check the unit below, since your leak may be their ceiling.
Avoid the water
Anything that came from a drain or toilet, or from river flooding, is Category 3. Everyone, including pets, stays out of it.
Call the 24/7 line
Give the neighborhood, building type and floor, plus whether neighbors are affected.
Common questions about water damage in Lowell
Yes, all four. 01850 is Centralville, 01851 is the Highlands, 01852 covers Downtown, Belvidere, Back Central and South Lowell, and 01854 covers Pawtucketville, the Acre and UMass Lowell North Campus. Tell dispatch your neighborhood and cross street.
Yes. Dispatch runs 24/7 for Lowell and arrival times are not promised. Until the crew arrives, stop the water at the unit or main valve, lift belongings, and stay clear of wet outlets.
The city draws from the Merrimack River. The intake is west of the city, and the water is pumped about half a mile to the treatment plant. Contact the city utility about main breaks, and call us for water inside the building.
Tell your landlord or property manager right away, photograph the damage and call dispatch. Water often reaches several units, so each one should be checked with a moisture meter. Ask your landlord and your insurer who is responsible for which repairs.
Ask the Lowell building department before rebuild work starts. Plumbing, electrical and structural repairs may need permits, and in a larger building the owner or manager will usually handle that.
Not directly. Floods are not covered by standard homeowners or commercial policies, and a separate flood policy usually takes 30 days to begin. Check the FEMA flood map for your address and ask your agent.