The people who safeguard our drinking water are unsung heroes, charged with safeguarding the most precious commodity of civilization: clean drinking water.
Most people take potable water for granted – that is, until the tap runs dry or they become sickened by contaminants (think: Flint, Mich.). But not in Massachusetts, where water districts answer to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Its regulations are demanding. There are compliance reports to be filled out, inspections to be performed, capital improvement plans to be filed, annual reports to be written, plus the office chores of invoices to be mailed and bills to be paid. Some of the administrative costs include salaries and stipends for its personnel, electricity to run the well pump, chemicals to treat the water and regular water testing.
All of this is costly. And, contrary to popular belief, rural water districts are typically user-owned and operated, receiving no money from the town other than fees for water usage by municipal buildings. In the event that a large water user like a business or a private school moves out of town, the remaining customers – primarily, households – have to make up the lost revenue.
Little money is left over for planned infrastructure improvements. In Northfield, for example, said Water Commissioner Steven Malsch last year, some of Main Street’s pipes haven’t been upgraded in 30 or 40 years or longer. In fact, some pipes in town date back to the late 1930s, and old water mains need more frequent repairs. Inevitably, water districts must raise rates in anticipation of upgrades yet to come and nobody likes that.
And then there are the emergencies caused by pipes that break. When that happens, you can probably spot your local water commissioners literally down in the trenches, helping to make repairs. That’s another reason we call them unsung heroes.
The exception to this came last week when judges sang the praises of the Shelburne Falls Fire District in a competition hosted by the Massachusetts Rural Water Association. In its first time entering the annual contest, Shelburne Falls Fire District took first place for tastiest water. Judges taste-tested water from 14 water systems before giving Shelburne Falls’ water top honors. Aroma, clarity and taste are some of the attributes judges look for and good results don’t come easy.
“These people work very hard … to make sure there are no contaminants in the water that so many people take for granted,” said George Krivda, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s state director of Southern New England, and one of the judges. “It’s not by accident that people of Massachusetts have safe drinking water.”
“We’re very excited,” said Rebekah McDermott, superintendent of the Shelburne Falls Fire District Water Department, which serves roughly 2,000 homes and businesses. McDermott accepted the award with Assistant Superintendent John Ferris.
Now the Shelburne Falls Fire District moves on to compete at the national competition in Washington, D.C., in February. The day begins with a Rural Water Rally in which members from each state meet with their respective legislators to discuss local water issues. Then each state submits water for the taste tests. We will not be at all surprised to see McDermott bring home the national trophy.