Great Barrington — On Monday, March 2, Housatonic Water Works (HWW) announced in a press release that it has received a $250,000 from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to support the construction of a manganese treatment plant to be built on Long Pond Road.
In July 2024, the Department of Public Utilities approved the company’s rate increase request, allowing a 90 percent increase to customer rates over five years. The approval of the rate increase included a settlement filed by both the Office of the Attorney General and HWW.
The settlement includes a capital project list, including the construction of a manganese filtration system, an interconnection with the Great Barrington Fire District, a new water storage tank, and a main replacement.
In late January, DPU approved a request from HWW for two loans that the company states are necessary to finance the completion of a manganese filtration plant.
According to the company, the funding supplements prior grant assistance awarded under the state’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvanged Communities Program.
The funds awarded to the company under the grant program now total $600,000.
In the press release, company Treasurer James Mercer is quoted as saying that HWW is “actively pursuing additional funding opportunities that may further benefit our customers and offset project cots.”
The treatment plant is scheduled to be operational by June 1.
