Bridgewater can continue to buy Middleboro water, town agrees

MIDDLEBORO -- Middleboro has agreed to an extension to allow Bridgewater to use its water through October.

Select Board members unanimously agreed at their July 6 meeting that the neighboring town could continue to purchase water from Middleboro as the town works to solve its own water issues.

Bridgewater officials came before Middleboro select board members in December, seeking water because of a water emergency.

The town explained at that meeting that time was needed to clean and flush pipes to rid the town’s system of dangerous amounts of manganese, a mineral with harmful neurological effects when consumed in high concentration.

They returned in March to ask for an extension into July, which was further extended at the July 6 meeting.

Middleboro has enough water to make the agreement work, Water Superintendent Mike Bumpus said.

“The water’s there,’’ he said. “If the water’s not there, I shut the valve off.’’

The water is sold to Bridgewater at one and a half times the town rate. Middleboro has received $1.1 million through this sale, Bumpus said.

During previous discussions of the issue, some residents had questioned why the town has enough water to sell to its neighbors while under water restrictions of its own.

Select Board member Brian Giovanoni explained that the two issues are separate.

The water use ban is set by the state because Massachusetts is facing a drought.

But Middleboro has ample water, he noted, and its water tanks are full.

“We’re not struggling,’’ Bumpus said. “I’d like to sell more water.’’

Several stipulations were placed on the water agreement. Bridgewater was ordered to stop all new water connections while using Middleboro’s water.

The agreement also states that a maximum of 250,000 gallons a day can be provided, and Bumpus can stop the water going to Bridgewater if Middleboro cannot meet its own needs. 

Select Board Chair Teresa Farley supported  supplying the water but criticized what she described as an “unacceptable’’ lack of communication from Bridgewater officials and Bumpus and between the town and its residents.

She also noted that an official moratorium on new connections was not officially announced until a week prior.

In the end, select board members agreed to continue the water sale.

“We need the water, we need the help,’’ Bridgewater Councilor at Large Michaela Spagone said. “My hope is that you take into consideration the 29,000 people who need help from Middleboro.’’