Great Barrington — More details have come to light regarding the town’s plan to have the Housatonic Water Works (HWW) water system interconnect with the Great Barrington Fire District’s (GBFD’s) system.
On April 8, a statement, which was dated April 3, was posted to the town’s website that the Selectboard approved a project to interconnect both systems.
According to the statement, the project is part of a settlement agreement between HWW and the three towns who intervened in the rate case: Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and West Stockbridge.
In February, Stockbridge filed a motion with the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) requesting that HWW reverse its planned rate increases and that the DPU investigate the long-troubled utility.
Eventually, both Great Barrington and West Stockbridge joined in the motion.
In early March, the Attorney General’s Office filed a motion with the DPU in opposition to the motion of the three towns.
The initial statement from Great Barrington dated April 3 states that the interconnection of the two water systems is part of a settlement agreement. That statement did not clarify, however, whether or not other ongoing litigation has been settled, including the continuing litigation between Great Barrington’s Board of Health and the company.
The Board of Health issued an Order to Correct against the company in late August. In late October, however, Associate Justice for the Berkshire County Superior Court John Agostini ruled against the board and its Order to Correct.
The Board of Health has appealed that decision.
On Tuesday, April 9, the town issued a statement through the email address “pr@townofgb.org” credited to the town’s Selectboard. The correspondence states that the interconnection project between the two water systems “would allow either system to access water from the other’s supply in the event of an emergency.” [Emphasis added.]
The April 9 release explains:
This project is among several capital improvements outlined in the 2024 HWW water rate settlement agreement with the Commonwealth. Under that agreement, municipal approval was required before the interconnection could proceed, as it would lead to a rate increase for HWW customers. All three towns have now granted that approval.
In the previous statement dated April 3, however, the Selectboard states:
The project will enhance public safety and fire protection by improving overall resources and water supply capacity for general water distribution and emergency purposes.
The Selectboard believes that the interconnection of the two systems will benefit Housatonic Water Works customers and Great Barrington Fire District customers. It will be an enhancement of the public water supply infrastructure serving the town.
[Emphasis added.]
The April 9 statement explains that the interconnection project is not related to the special town meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 6 p.m., at Monument Mountain High School.
That meeting was called after resident Sharon Gregory filed two separate petitions for a special town meeting so that residents could vote on the town purchasing both HWW and the GBFD to merge the two water utilities. The first petition asks for the town to acquire GBFD for a sum not to exceed $2 million, while the second asks for the town to acquire HWW for a sum not to exceed $2.3 million.
In early April, HWW Treasurer James Mercer posted a letter to the company’s website supporting the town’s acquisition of the company.
The April 9 statement clarifies that the interconnection project “[d]oes not involve or imply a purchase or merger of the systems, is not connected to the Special Town Meeting warrant articles, and is unrelated to any current or proposed valuations of the HWW or GBFD.”
The statement also notes that the April 17 special town meeting was called “without consultation with or endorsement by the Selectboard.”
The four members of the Selectboard—Chair Steve Bannon, Vice Chair Eric Gabriel, and members Garfield Reed and Ben Elliott—have not publicly stated whether or not they support the proposals at question in the scheduled special town meeting.
Meanwhile, The Berkshire Edge has reached out to Interim Town Manager Chris Rembold for further details about the settlement agreement between the three towns and HWW, along with details about the interconnection project.
As of press time, Rembold has not responded to The Berkshire Edge.
