I've been a resident in the village of Housatonic for almost 3 years and if I can describe the situation regarding the water that comes out of our taps in one word: Disgusting with a capital D. It seems like this problem has been rampant for years, prior to my arrival and nothing is being done to address this matter.

Even though there have been numerous meetings regarding this topic on hand, no significant action has been taken to remedy the problem as brown and roily H-2-O has found a "so-called" permanent home in pipes across the vicinity. Great Barrington Town Manager Mark Pruhenski has been instrumental in having a say in this matter as he is valiantly trying to acquire Housatonic Water Works which will focus exclusively on serving 1,400 users with decent water coming out of their faucets, but all things considered, to paraphrase Brook Benton's Classic hit single: It's Just A Matter Of Time".

The acquisition will combine forces to work with the town's Fire Department as they will keep an eye on making the system workable once again as residents continue to express their disdain over this never-ending matter. Board Chairman Steven Bannon also put his twoc cents on the question in hand:

"We know the state says the water is safe to drink, but we understand that the residents are concerned about the appearance of the water. We think water should be safe to drink and esthetically pleasing, it should also not ruin residents clothing or stain their bathtubs"

So my question is: "When do we STOP buying bottled water and resume using the tap to fulfill this basic necessity?". Plus, the residue in our bathrooms and sinks proves to be a total eyesore to me and other fellow residents as much needed improvements need to be addressed, not down the road but NOW. if that is the case, then a massive reduction or credit should be mandated in monthly water bills. This topic has been addressed to the Bay State's Attorney General, Maura Healey as there are talks out east in Boston in trying to install private wells or modify the village's filtration system. Let's see if this actually comes to fruition. Stand by: We'll keep you posted.

Looking ahead to the future: A meeting will take place on November 1st as the community will have another opportunity to voice their opinions on this sensitive matter. Kudos to Jim Mercer who has informed us every step of the way as to when construction takes place to significantly make things more tolerable, despite the inconvenience of water taps shutting down for a few hours, but it is one step towards some room for improvement.

Until we can find a quick fix for this problem, I have one suggestion: Stock up on the bottled water and pack some patience, because there is a light at the end of the tunnel (I certainly hope so)

(Some background information on this article was obtained by WSBS courtesy of The Berkshire Edge for on-line usage)

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