In her letter to the editor, Jane Wright of Housatonic, Mass., writes: "I do not believe the Mercers have been good Stewards of our water supply. I believe the state should take a closer look at the quality of our water."
Privately-owned Housatonic Water Works, which draws water from Long Pond, says it needs the increase to deal with higher operating expenses and state-mandated upgrades to an antiquated system.
Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin noted that it was hard to justify the rate increase without more details about repairs and upgrades – and the schedule to implement them.
For a minor fire [Housatonic’s] gallons per minute is adequate — for anything major, they’re not. It would require thousands of feet of hose and multiple engines, and a delayed response. It would require a lot of manpower and laying in from the [Housatonic] river.”
-- Great Barrington Fire Chief Charlie Burger
