Canton joins regional water conservation initiative

Six towns across the Neponset Valley are banding together to pose a question to their residents: Can you save 157 million gallons of water in just 14 weeks? The towns are kicking off a regional campaign to educate residents about how easy and painless it is to reduce water, sewer and energy bills while protecting local waterways and wildlife through greater efficiency.

To entice residents to act fast, the communities are offering rebates of $75 to $200 for replacing outdated toilets and washing machines with more efficient models. They are also offering showerheads and aerators that save water while still providing a satisfying experience.

Participating towns include Canton, Foxboro, Sharon, Stoughton, and the Dedham-Westwood Water District.

They were brought together for the first-of-its-kind regional campaign by the Neponset River Watershed Association, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to cleaning up and protecting the Neponset River and its watershed. The project is being funded in part by a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“We are excited to be partnering with the watershed association and our neighboring communities on this,” said Eileen Commane, executive director of the Dedham-Westwood Water District, adding, “It’s unusual for water suppliers to collaborate across town lines like this, but it’s the smart thing to do. Working together, we can accomplish more with less effort, and we hope it can be a model for other communities.”

The participating towns are calling their joint effort the “Neponset Valley Water Alliance.” They have created a website (www.nvwater.org) and will be conducting joint mailings, advertising and educational programs over the next few months. The current effort is a pilot project for the regional approach, and the alliance members will be evaluating whether they want to continue joint efforts in the future.

“In Canton and towns all across the country, we are facing aging water and sewer infrastructure and the need to invest in repairing our pipes and other equipment,” said Canton DPW Superintendent Michael Trotta. “If you look to the western states, you can also see the heavy impact that drought can have, and we’re not immune to that here in New England.”

Residents should contact their local water department or visit www.nvwater.org to get the details on rebate terms and conditions, which vary from town to town. The current grant funding will end on June 20, so residents are encouraged to move quickly to take advantage of this opportunity. To learn more about the Neponset River Watershed Association, visit www.neponset.org.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Mar 27 2014. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.