Vote “No” On the LCWD $5.5M Proposal December 10th

A letter to the editor from Ken & Amy MacNulty, Gayle Richardson:

On December 10th at 7 p.m. at the Lynnfield Middle School the ratepayers of the Lynnfield Center Water District (LCWD) will be asked to attend a Special Meeting to vote on a $5.5 million proposal by LCWD Board of Commissioners to build a “greensand” water treatment plant at the Glen Drive Pumping Station. This addition is being requested of LCWD ratepayers to address problems of discolored water many homes in and around Chestnut and upper Lowell Streets. While no one in the LCWD should have to endure such a problem, we urge the LCWD ratepayers to vote “NO” on this proposal.

The problem of discolored water among some in our water district is not new. Many impacted ratepayers report it has been going on for more than 5 years. Up to recently, LCWD has not been especially responsive to their problems. However, in response to mounting complaints and growing political pressures from town leadership, LCWD Board of Commissioners is now seeking an expensive and poorly planned “quick fix” for our ratepayers to bear. According to their own published materials, the proposed treatment plant will increase LCWD water rates by 3 to 4 times our current rates. In addition, LCWD acknowledges that the detailed studies supporting their expensive proposal will not be completed for public review until after the scheduled vote
date of December 10th. These studies are important as they will allow LCWD ratepayers to get a much better understanding of what should be done long term and how to pay for it effectively before committing millions of our dollars. Opponents of this $5.5 million proposal are simply asking the LCWD leaders to make public the more detailed and complete studies before asking its ratepayers to commit to a significant and permanent increase in their current water rates.

In addition, the LCWD proposal does nothing to solve the longer-term issues facing LCWD ratepayers such as the likelihood of increased water restrictions in the near future as our existing sources become overburdened and exhausted and, identifying suitable alternative water sources such as from the MWRA and/or nearby towns.

The LCWD leadership has simply not done their homework to provide a full and complete picture on the issues and problems of water quality and quantity facing the LCWD ratepayers both now and in the future.

Please attend the December 10th 7 p.m. Special Meeting at the Lynnfield Middle School and vote “NO” on this $5.5 million proposal. This is Article 2 - as submitted by the LCWD Board of Commissioners. It can be viewed on their website. Every vote will count this night, so please alert neighbors and others who care about their LCWD water and its cost to come out and vote. Those of us who oppose this LCWD proposal have submitted alternate proposals seeking funding for responsible and more informative feasibility studies while buying us some time. Our proposals will also be on the LCWD warrant that evening. I encourage you to vote “YES” on these proposals. These are Articles 3, 4, and 5.

Ken & Amy MacNulty, Gayle Richardson, LCWD Ratepayers