Great Barrington — If the company gets their way, Housatonic Water Works customers will have to pay at least double their current rates to pay for the company’s plans to address ongoing problems with manganese in its system.
For several years, the embattled company, which serves fewer than 900 customers in the village of Housatonic in Great Barrington, has been the subject of complaints and scrutiny by both its customers and municipal government.
In late June, in response to a yearslong saga concerning discoloration and contamination of its water supply, the company hired Northeast Water Solutions President Robert Ferrari as a consultant to deal with its ongoing problems with manganese in its system.
Ferrari was hired to provide the development of a manganese treatment system and a pilot plant program.
In a letter sent to customers on Monday, August 1, company Treasurer James Mercer wrote that the state’s Department of Environmental Protection approved its proposal for a study on the water system and a greensand filtration system.
“Our engineers are confident that the greensand filtration system that they’ve proposed will solve the discolored water situation,” Mercer wrote. “Once we successfully complete the pilot study and get approval for the project, we’ll petition the Department of Public Utilities for approval to finance the project.”
In his letter to customers, Mercer briefly outlines the two phases of the project. He wrote that the first phase of the project will focus on addressing the elevated levels of manganese in the system.
The first phase will include the installation of the new greensand filtration system, the construction of a 2,000-square-foot building to house the new system, hiring additional personnel, and exploring additional water sources.
Mercer added that the project would include a collaboration with the town’s Fire District, but he did not list specifics of the collaboration in the letter.
Mercer estimates that the cost for phase one will be up to $2 million.
Mercer wrote that the second phase would address public safety and include an update of a hydraulic study conducted last year, along with the installation of a 200,000-gallon storage tank at an elevated location on High Street, along with attrition replacement of piping and hydrants and addressing any potential remaining fire flow issues.
Mercer wrote that the estimated cost of phase two would be $2 million, with a total estimated cost of $4 million for both projects. To pay for the project, Mercer wrote that the company will increase its customer rates.
“Customers who currently pay the minimum $44.73 a month can now expect to pay an additional $45 per month, this will increase their annual charge from $537 to $1,020,” Mercer wrote. “We sincerely hope you understand that our number one goal is to provide you with the safest water possible. We’re living in challenging times and we all need to do our part to ensure that our water sources are efficient, reliable, and well managed. It’s a shared responsibility and one that we take very seriously.”
On August 1, DEP Drinking Water and Municipal Services Chief Deirdre Doherty sent a letter to the company that gave conditional approval to its pilot project.
Meanwhile, Town Manager Mark Pruhenski is scheduled to give an update on the Housatonic Water Works situation to the Select Board during its meeting on Monday, August 8.
Two years ago, the board discussed the possibility of taking over the company through eminent domain. During a meeting In early July, the Select Board discussed the company in an executive session, but no decisions or votes came after the session.
At their last meeting in July, the Select Board unanimously endorsed a citizen’s petition for a state audit of the company.
As the saga continues to go on, a Facebook group “Housatonic residents v HWW” has been established. Customers continue to post photos of brown-colored water in the group.
In the August 1 letter to customers, Mercer wrote that “While the water is safe to drink, the color is concerning.”
