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PROVIDENCE - After years
of neglect, the Central Falls water system will finally become the
responsibility of the Pawtucket Water Supply Board.
On Wednesday the Senate voted unanimously to approve a purchase and sales
agreement between the city of Central Falls and the PWSB, a semi-autonomous
agent of the city of Pawtucket.
Last week the House signed off on the $1.1 million deal, which includes a
stipulation that the General Assembly certify that the PWSB can never be
taxed on the pipes (the town of Cumberland recently attempted to impose a
tangible property tax on PWSB pipes).
"This sale was something the PUC [Public Utilities Commission]
recommended years ago," said PWSB Attorney Joseph Keough, Jr. "We
are spending a lot of money building a new treatment facility and cleaning,
re-lining and replacing the pipes in Pawtucket, which are connected to the
Central Falls pipes. It just makes sense for us to take care of all the
pipes in our network."
The PWSB supplies water to customers in Cumberland, Central Falls and
Pawtucket via a massive network of underground water pipes. The Central
Falls system is the only part of the network it doesn't own and personally
maintain.
According to a 1938 contract, Central Falls agreed to maintain the system
and the PWSB agreed to pay the city an annual franchise fee.
After an abortive attempt to negotiate a sale, the franchise agreement
expired in 2002. The condition of the pipes went from bad to worse.
Today, it would cost more than $10 million to fully rehabilitate the
system, which is said to have a number of wooden pipes still in service.
"This has been a long time coming," said Sen. Daniel Issa
(D-Dist. 16), who sponsored the aforementioned sale authorization bill.
"I think it's a win-win situation, and it is about time. Now the city
doesn't have to worry about maintaining the pipes and it could certainly
use the cash."
Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau said the sale was a matter of public
health and safety.
"I thank Dan Issa and representatives [Agostinho] Silva and [Kenneth]
Vaudreuil for their efforts in getting this piece of legislation
passed," he said. "These pipes are more than 100 years old and we
just can't afford to make the necessary repairs. Water quality has been a
problem for years and some of the hydrants don't have adequate pressure.
"
He added that the proceeds from the sale will go directly into the city's
general fund.
The City Council recently voted to use the money to fortify the city's
unfunded pension liability fund.
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