In a letter to the editor, Luke Pryjma writes, "I've heard, in addition to pathology-centric science, the spring was closed because, at a Becket town meeting, certain officials didn't want "those" people stopping for spring water."
In their letter Chris and Matt Massiero, owners of Guido's Fresh Marketplace write: "As small-business owners, we are in the unique position to make business decisions that can change the future, both for our present community and all the future generations we hope will inherit this planet.
The approval of the plastic water bottle ban from residents at the annual town meeting followed a lengthy and impassioned appeal at the annual town meeting from three Monument Mountain Regional High School students.
In her letter to the editor, Marj Wexler writes: "We urgently need consumer pressure on bottling companies to challenge the unsustainable practice of producing new plastic bottles."
The Edge looked into the situation and found that, notwithstanding the alarming nature of language, there was no water-quality event that triggered the notice — it's simply a temporary licensing issue.
If it passes at town meeting, the GB On Tap program intends to provide additional drinking fountains and bottle refilling stations throughout town. In addition, it will help participating merchants and restaurants offer refillable water bottles for sale.
The summer of 2016 was the first time in my 25 years of making my home on the Taconic Plateau that I witnessed dry streambeds, shrunken ponds and even the rich top layer of my deep garden beds become dust.
When I posited that harvesting rainwater and conserving water use is in order, Brian Fuchs of the National Drought Mitigation Center countered, “Conservation should be practiced all the time. We don’t know when a drought might be on the horizon.”
To bolster state-municipal collaboration, a study recommends Governor Baker convene a statewide summit to educate localities about the infrastructure challenges presented by climate change and the steps needed to protect their water systems.
Ward says he wants to stay alert to potential consequences of future remediation and construction work at 100 Bridge St. in case “disturbances to the site could lead to enhanced pollution” of the Sheffield water supply.
Housatonic Water Works Company says it needs to raise rates to both help pay its bills amid overhead increases and to fund state-mandated improvements to Housatonic’s aging water system.
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."
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.
