The Water Commission voted to stay the course with the current water treatment plant after analyzing a consultant’s report that also examined the pros and cons of building a new plant or applying to join the MWRA system. The commission will also hold a public forum on its Annual Town Meeting budget requests via Zoom on…
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Capital spending requests on tap for Wednesday presentation
Capital spending requests that residents will vote at at Town Meeting on May 15 include funds for school furniture and equipment, a public safety radio system, and a new town well. The Capital Planning Committee (CapCom) and the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) will host a joint Zoom presentation on their proposals on Wednesday, April 28…
My Turn: Water Dept. always available in emergencies
By Ruth Ann Hendrickson The Water Department has a system in place to serve you if you have need for immediate help. We do not have enough staff to personally answer the phone 24 hours a day, but we do have personnel who are assigned to be “on call.” If you have a leaking water…
Water Dept. superintendent leaving as town considers future plans for water supply
Water Department Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser has resigned as of Jan. 1, 2021. The change will mean another recruiting push for the embattled department, which has seen budget and personnel turmoil resulting in substantial capital spending and water rate increases. Wiser said she was retiring in her letter of resignation she sent in September to the…
Town moves to highest level of water restrictions
Summertime limits on outdoor watering usually end on September 30, but due to the ongoing severe drought, the Water Commission instead tightened restrictions to Stage 4, its highest level. The new restrictions took place on November 3. About a month earlier on October 9, state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides declared a “critical…
My Turn: Clarification on increased contaminants in town water
(Editor’s note: This is a follow-up to an August 24 article headlined “Fix for town water problem expected by next summer” in which Water Commission member Ruth Ann Hendrickson speculated about the course of the increase in TTHM contaminants in Flint’s Pond, the source of drinking water for many Lincoln residents.) By Ruth Ann Hendrickson…
Fix for town water problem expected by next summer
Testing has again shown that Lincoln water contains excessive levels of a certain contaminant, though the level is just over the maximum and work will soon begin on a system to solve the problem permanently. In an unrelated development, the Water Commission has restricted nonessential outdoor watering to one day a week, down from the…
Outdoor watering now limited to once a week
Residents on town water must now limit non-essential outdoor watering to one day a week because of this summer’s drought conditions, though agricultural watering is exempt from these restrictions. After above-normal temperatures in July and early August and more than three months of below-normal rainfall, state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides declared a…
Water Department still has plant operator vacancy
At a sparsely attended June 9 Water Commission forum on Zoom, officials explained that the Water Department is hoping to hire another water treatment plant operator after the new fiscal year starts on July 1. The department has been short-staffed for some time due to several departures last year and a statewide shortage of qualified…
Water Commission to hold forum on its spending requests
The Water Commission will hold a public forum via Zoom on Tuesday, June 9 at 9 a.m. in advance of the June 13 Town Meeting to take comments and answer questions about its fiscal-year 2021 budget, which includes a capital borrowing request of $270,000 and an operating budget of $1.835 million — 38% higher than this…