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Municipal water managers ask lawmakers to protect historic registrations under Water Management Act
Summary
Representatives of Wellesley and the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission urged the committee to support House Bill 1018 to protect historic water registrations from new regulatory conditioning that would force local systems to implement nonessential use restrictions unrelated to actual reservoir capacity or supply.
Town and utility officials urged the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to give a favorable report to House Bill 1018, a proposal they described as clarifying the scope of Water Management Act registrations and preventing regulations from conditioning historic registered withdrawal volumes.
David Cohen, Wellesley’s director of public works, told the committee that new regulations adopted by MassDEP in 2023 that condition registrations to require nonessential‑use restrictions during declared droughts have created public confusion. He said Wellesley currently receives roughly 65% of its water from the MWRA and 35% from local wells; the town’s storage and water management practices meant the town was not facing supply shortfalls despite recent rains, yet customers were being asked to observe one‑day‑per‑week watering restrictions. ‘‘This situation negatively affects the credibility of water suppliers,’’ Cohen said, and he urged a favorable report on HB 1018.
Jamie Bartak of the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, testifying on behalf of the Massachusetts Water Works Association, described registered‑only systems that were granted large historic withdrawal rights decades ago and that have operated within those volumes for decades. Springfield said its registration from 1986 allows withdrawals up to 39 million gallons per day, but the commission typically averages 30 million gallons per day and needs the registered capacity to support local economic and housing projects. Bartak said the commission supports HB 1018 because conditioning historic registrations undermines funding that utilities depend on (summer revenue assists infrastructure programs such as leak detection and pipe replacement).
Witnesses and committee members acknowledged the risk of drought and said utilities generally support ‘‘wise water use’’ but argued that a rule that conditions historic registrations irrespective of actual reservoir levels could unintentionally discourage investment in system upgrades. The committee accepted testimony and written data; no vote occurred.
Ending: The committee requested written follow‑up materials and data. Municipal and water‑system witnesses urged lawmakers to move HB 1018 forward with clarifying language so that regulatory drought responses remain tied to actual capacity and system‑specific conditions.
