Our Water Supply and Sewage Treatment Are at Risk

The Townie is an opinion website. The views expressed in this piece belong solely to the author, do not represent those held by The Townie, and should not be interpreted as objective or reported fact. 

Lost in all the news about the controversies at the library, the City Clerk’s office, and the Mayor’s end run of the City Council vote against reappointment of the City’s HR Director, is a little known fact about the City Council’s Public Works and Safety Committee meeting last week. None of the three Water and Sewer Commissioners reappointed by the Mayor attended the Committee meeting.  Water and Sewer appointments must be recommended by the Public Works and Safety Committee before the City Council can approve them. As a result, their appointments were not approved. 

Why does that matter?  Even with those Commissioners, there are only five members on the Commission, down from the usual seven.  Although they will remain on the Commission until replaced or removed, the Commission needs five members for a quorum. The Commission cannot fulfill its important mandate to protect the City’s water quality and sewer infrastructure, among other things, unless all five Commissioners attend every meeting.  These are unpaid volunteer positions and it’s unrealistic to expect that, as was evident at last week’s meeting. 

Previously, two of the Mayor’s Commissioner reappointments were rejected by City Council. One City Councillor informed me that their decision was based on their view that the Commissioners had taken action that undermined progress on critical water and sewer infrastructure projects. 

I am not a disinterested party in all of this. I recently applied for an appointment to the Water and Sewer Commission. The Mayor declined to appoint me.  His stated reason was that he could not get it through the City Council.  After I informed him that I had the backing of seven City Council members, enough for my appointment to be approved, he responded that he would get back to me if things changed. I can only surmise that his unwillingness to appoint me is a result of my advocacy for water and sewer projects, which he does not prioritize. Would we refuse to elect someone to the school board because they advocated for the schools?

I have been attending Water and Sewer Commission meetings and will continue to do so.  Running water and sanitary sewage treatment are two of the most important services provided by this City. The lack of attention to them over the last four years culminating in a hobbled Water and Sewer Commission puts our critical infrastructure at risk. 

Lauren Caverly
Newburyport resident

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