Water, water everywhere – or that seems to be the focus of this year’s Saugus Town Meeting.
Voters took an initial stab two weeks ago at the warrant and they are back tonight for more debate with water a major topic for discussion.
The proposals listed on the warrant presented on May 2 included money for the Water Enterprise Fund and another article asking to reauthorize a revolving fund for the water system cross-connection program.
Another article proposed a water rate increase with the money dedicated for water-related expenses. There’s also a plan to borrow money that would improve the town’s water pipeline network.
Other articles address repairs to town pump stations and storm drains. And don’t forget Article 32 – the $1 million idea that would remove a 30-inch drain to end Elm and Saville street flooding.
All this talk of water makes the heads swim. But it also begs an important question: Is Saugus sufficiently updated when it comes to looking at short and long-term water and sewer needs?
No problem has a more immediate, potentially widespread impact on a community than a catastrophic water system failure. Proof of this statement lies in Flint, Michigan where a breakdown in the system led to contamination and a national focus on mistakes and neglect.
Saugus is no Flint, and improvements made to the pipe network crisscrossing Route 1 is evidence town officials and legislators are addressing the town’s needs. But a Town Meeting warrant that includes a $1 million proposal for flood relief, as well as numerous water system repair proposals calls to question the need for a comprehensive look at one of Saugus’ basic infrastructure needs.
Is there anyone who can stand up at Town Meeting and definitively outline the town’s two-year, five-year and 10-year plan for upgrading replacing water systems? When is the last time town officials asked the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority or another qualified source to provide expertise in assessing town water needs?
Any plan to improve water service in Saugus and provide flood relief will translate into a significant expense. Without a detailed plan on the horizon, residents risk getting blindsided with emergency expenses.
The same planning that went into raising the town’s now-substantial reserve fund should be applied to designing and prioritizing a town water improvement plan. It would be a shame to see poor or no planning wash carefully-saved money down the drain.