Letter: Some facts left out of BCWA editorial

Posted 1/16/19

To the editor:I would like to take this opportunity to address some of the facts that were not included in last week’s editorial concerning the proposed abandonment of the Massachusetts water …

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Letter: Some facts left out of BCWA editorial

Posted

To the editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to address some of the facts that were not included in last week’s editorial concerning the proposed abandonment of the Massachusetts water supplies for drinking water by the BCWA:
* First and foremost, to continue use of the supplies, the BCWA needs to invest $60,000,000.
* The supply can only provide for ½ of the BCWA demand in the summer and ¾ in the winter (which was why the East Bay pipeline to provide Providence water was constructed in 1989).
* The BCWA neither owns or controls any of the 3 ponds in MA: Swansea, Shad Factory or the Anawan. The BCWA has term lease agreements with the state of Massachusetts to withdraw water, but the MA DEP has been further restricting water withdrawals of other utilities in MA upon lease renewal. There is NO guarantee of a future supply to the BCWA.
* The BCWA owns and is responsible for the dams at Swansea and Shad Factory and has a lease agreement to operate and maintain the Anawan dam. The Swansea Dam was constructed in the 1800’s and no longer meets standards and needs to be replaced.
* The water is of poor quality and needs an advanced (expensive) treatment system to meet water quality regulations. The 1908 treatment plant is no longer viable with any amount of costly improvements (and would not have been 20 years ago).
* According to RIGL 46-15.5 the BCWA was to continue to maintain the MA supplies once the Providence connection was completed. HOWEVER, the state was required to pay for any capital costs to maintain the system, and if the state did not provide the funding, the BCWA was NO LONGER required to maintain the system. To date, the State has not reimbursed the BCWA for $682,043 in expenses for capital projects.
As the BCWA does not have a backup water supply system, it is imperative that the Pawtucket Pipeline be constructed. There is no other source of supply that could be built for a reasonable cost. Both Pawtucket Water and Providence Water have an excess of high quality treated water. Both are regulated by the RIPUC, even in the event the Providence Water system be sold. And both systems are in Rhode Island.
For further information, please go to bcwari.com or call 401-245-2022.
Sincerely,
Pamela M. Marchand, P.E.

Warren
Executive Director, BCWA

Editor's note: The editorial to which Ms. Marchand refers is also published in the Wednesday, Jan. 16 editions of the Barrington Times and Warren Times-Gazette.

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