495/MetroWest Partnership backs water work

The 495/MetroWest Partnership, a unique public-private collaboration supporting sustainable economic growth across 36 Massachusetts cities and towns—including Westford—has become the latest organization to put its support behind the #InvestInWaterMA coalition.

Organized by the Utility Contractors Association of New England (UCANE), the #InvestInWaterMA campaign is dedicated to ensuring that investment in critically important water, sewer, and wastewater infrastructure gets the high priority it deserves as state and federal officials are allocating infrastructure and COVID relief funds.

The 495/MetroWest Partnership joins the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBIO), NAIOP Massachusetts, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Water Works Association, the Wastewater Advisory Committee of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the New England Water Works Association, and the Charles River Watershed Association as coalition supporters.

“As an organization focused on supporting sustainable economic growth, the 495/MetroWest Partnership has always been committed to supporting robust investment in water infrastructure,” said Jason Palitsch, Executive Director of the Westborough-based 495/MetroWest Partnership. “The Partnership stands at the intersection of businesses, municipal governments, environmental organizations, developers, and other key stakeholders in the fast-growing 495/MetroWest region. Investing in water infrastructure is critical to our entire coalition: businesses need reliable water and sewer to thrive, municipalities need financial support for an expensive backlog of projects, and aging infrastructure poses a threat to our ecosystem.’’

Palitsch added: “Water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure are key resources to supporting a high quality of life in our region, and continuing to attract employers. The 495/MetroWest Partnership is proud to continue to bring the critical message of the #InvestInWaterMA initiative to our audience.”

Jeff Mahoney, UCANE executive director and a lead organizer of the #InvestInWaterMA coalition, said: “On behalf of all our coalition partners, I want to express how excited and grateful we are to have the support and energy of the 495/MetroWest Partnership for our campaign. From Beacon Hill to city and town halls and town meetings across the Commonwealth, 2022 will see critical decisions being made about where to invest billions of infrastructure dollars, and the 495-MetroWest Partnership will help us keep the #InvestInWaterMA message front and center for elected officials and decisionmakers.’’

Through public presentations, a comprehensive social-media campaign, media outreach, and a billboard along Route 1 in Sharon near Gillette Stadium, the #InvestInWaterMA coalition has over the last nine months been constantly promoting the need for and benefits of water infrastructure investment, with key messages including:

• Massachusetts cities, towns, and regional water utilities face an infrastructure funding crisis, including a funding gap estimated by the Office of the State Auditor in 2017 as $18 billion over 20 years for drinking-water infrastructure alone and billions more for sanitary sewers, stormwater facilities, and remediation of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) that still pour millions of gallons of raw sewage into rivers like the Merrimack during storms.
  
  
• While the current big increase in federal funding is welcomed and needed, it comes against a backdrop of 50 years of declining federal and state aid to cities, towns, and water/sewer districts for infrastructure investment that has forced billions of dollars of backlogs of deferred maintenance and investment.
  
  
• Investing in water infrastructure is a proven winner for generating and sustaining economic growth—the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Policy at UMass-Boston, in a study commissioned by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Advisory Board, showed that every $1 million invested in water/wastewater infrastructure generates anywhere from $2 million to $14 million in new taxes plus another $2.6 million to $6.8 million in private-sector economic activity, or a potential $20-for-$1 return, particularly with projects that facilitate development or redevelopment of real estate.

Communities served by the 495/MetroWest Partnership include Acton, Ashland, Bellingham, Berlin, Bolton, Boxborough, Foxborough, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Harvard, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Hudson, Littleton, Marlborough, Maynard, Medfield, Medway, Milford, Millis, Natick, Norfolk, Northborough, Plainville, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Stow, Sudbury, Upton, Wayland, Westborough, Westford, and Wrentham.

The 495/MetroWest Partnership is a unique public-private collaboration among businesses, municipalities, and other stakeholders focused on creating an environment that prepares for and cultivates sustainable growth. The Partnership accomplishes this by coordinating, educating, and advocating for solutions to regional constraints and limited natural resources.

The Utility Contractors' Association of New England, Inc. (UCANE) is a trade association comprised of over 250 major contractors and associated business men and women who design, build, finance, insure, bond, and supply materials and equipment to the underground water and sewer construction industry. UCANE's membership includes utility construction businesses of all sizes, ranging from large to small, family-owned companies, including both union and non-union companies and minority and women business enterprises.