The Press is focused this week on Tuesday night’s Special Town Meeting, at which voters will be asked to approve the borrowing of an additional $2.3 million to build the pump house and pipeline necessary to connect Harvard’s municipal water supply to the wells at Devens. It’s the only item on the night’s agenda.
One way or another, Harvard will have to deal with the presence of PFAS in its water district, which serves not only the homes, churches, municipal building, and businesses in the center of town but also the most vulnerable among us, our children at Hildreth Elementary and the Bromfield schools. PFAS contamination is not an issue that can be ignored, given the scientific community’s growing alarm about the risks of exposure to these chemicals.
The project to replace Harvard’s water with water drawn from Devens has already been approved by Town Meeting and again by voters at Town Election. The bids were higher than expected and the extra $2.3 million is necessary to begin work. No one wants to see a further increase in taxes, but the alternatives are full of risks and potentially more costly. Failure to pass the measure Tuesday would force the town to rebid the project or pursue less attractive options.
We urge readers to attend Tuesday’s Special Town Meeting, to debate and act on the requested dollars, whether you’re for or against the expenditure. It’s your right and arguably your obligation. A minimum of 50 attendees is necessary.
