Revere water-sewer work drives up costs

REVERE – Ongoing federally mandated work is driving up water and sewer bills, but Mayor Daniel Rizzo is worried that the lack of any tangible result is leaving residents confused over the increase.”It’s not a school building or a police car, so it’s not too jazzy,” said Bob Button, an associate with CDM Smith, the city’s engineering and program management firm.Button said the city has been rebuilding its deteriorating water and sewer system since 2007, when the federal Environmental Protection Agency ordered the work.In 2011 city officials entered into a more stringent agreement with the EPA, Button said.Mayoral aide Miles Kennedy Lang attributes the deterioration largely to neglect.Rizzo recently sat down with state legislators Speaker Robert DeLeo, Sen. Anthony Petruccelli and Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein to discuss the infrastructure issues.Button said the city has already invested about $25 million into the project that will ultimately cost upwards of $100 million and will take up to 10 years to complete. Much of the effort is being funded through leveraging city funds, Massachusetts Water Resource Authority assistance and the Department of Environmental Protection’s state revolving fund, the latter of which has already granted the city “principal forgiveness” of 20 percent, Button said.Rizzo said that, as a result of the work, water rates have also increased 8.06 percent for residents, up $1.10 from last year, and the commercial rate is up 8.44 percent or $1.64 over last year.”I know that during difficult economic times, we are all struggling to pay our bills,” he said. “I hope that in the future these issues will be alleviated. Right now my administration is looking into new technology to help monitor water usage in order to help residents in controlling their consumption along with helping to find lost expenditures.”Reinstein also acknowledged that the cost increase is tough on working families but pointed out that the capital improvements are mandated by law.”Our delegation will continue to work with Mayor Rizzo to ensure hard earned taxpayer money is invested in the most efficient and responsible manner,” she added.Lang Kennedy said Rizzo is also reaching out and hoping to hold a regional meeting with other communities facing similar problems.DeLeo lauded Rizzo for carrying on with the work despite the recent recession.”Even during this economic downturn, we must not let much-needed infrastructure improvement projects fall to the wayside,” he said.Button said the project, though costly, is already paying off. Recently two new pump stations and sewer lines were installed in the Washington Street area, which Button said was prone to sewer overflows and the result is not one overflow since.”Give us time and people will see the difference,” he said.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].