This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

State Senate passes water reform bill

Local legislator Mike Barrett joined his State Senate colleagues to pass a drinking water and wastewater reform bill.  The legislation expands municipal options, encourages best management practices, and provides an additional $50 million for cities and towns to update their water infrastructure.

“Local communities will have an easier time financing repairs,” Barrett said.  “The bill bolsters aging clean water infrastructure while protecting the environment.”  He pointed to a provision that allocates $3 million to a technical assistance program.  The program would help identify green infrastructure solutions, such as projects that improve energy and water efficiency.  Barrett praised the work of Senate President Therese Murray and Sen. Jamie Eldridge.

"I am extremely pleased that the Senate passed An Act Improving Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure today,” said Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) after the session.  “This bill, which I was proud to have filed with the Senate President, is the first step in making critical investments in our state's water infrastructure while instituting reforms that will better protect our environment, water supply and make measurable contributions to public safety, economic development, tourism and the overall quality of life across the Commonwealth." 

Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The bill expands the spending capacity of the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust -- which provides low-interest loans to cities and towns -- from $88 million to $138 million.  It also commits the Trust to spending 80 percent of the new limit.  For loans, the bill creates a sliding scale interest rate from zero to two percent.

The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust currently holds an “AAA” rating (the highest possible bond rating) from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s, the only statewide municipal bond issuer to maintain such a rating from all three.

Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The bill also does the following:

·         Encourages regional projects by allowing public entities to jointly apply for planning grants to develop water pollution abatement plans;

·         Requires the Dept. of Environmental Protection to disseminate regulations requiring interruption devices, sensors that detect adequate rainfall so as to conserve water, on newly installed or renovated irrigation systems; and

·         Requires the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to consult with the Division of Local Services to establish and publish guidelines for best practices in water management.

The legislation will go next to the House of Representatives for consideration.

 




We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Concord