Q&A with 2025 Candidates for AWD Commissioner

John Petersen:

I’ve been a scientist in the field of chemistry for more than fifty years, earning an undergraduate degree from MIT and a PhD from the University of California – Berkeley. Most of my career has been in drug development, building expertise in analytical and process chemistry as well as a good working knowledge of toxicology. I’m a listed inventor on more than 40 U.S. patents. I’ve managed global drug development teams and programs with annual budgets of millions of dollars including commercial operations. 

Cheryl and I moved to Acton in 1986 and our two children were educated in the AB schools. I have served the Town as a School Committee member for seven years and have presented school budgets at five Acton Town Meetings. I was appointed to the Water District Finance Committee two years ago and authored and presented a financial overview to start the AWD annual meeting each of the last two years. I’ve served as a member of the Acton Leadership Group (ALG), which balances municipal and educational needs. My ALG experience provides both the background and orientation to see the AWD as a critical element of Acton’s communal needs. My technical background supports the evaluation of water quality standards and the mission of reliably delivering high quality water. My community service, managerial and technical background are well matched to the role of Water District Commissioner in providing governance for the AWD. 

The governance roles of Acton’s boards (AWD, Select Board, School Committee) are very challenging. Due to the experience and expertise of the managers (AWD Manager Matt Mostoller, Town Manager Mangiaratti, and Superintendent Light) it is easy for boards to support leadership and difficult to provide a thoughtful critique of budgets and capital plans. By background and temperament, as a Commissioner, I will provide a voice that strengthens the AWD. 

Barry Rosen:

My name is Barry Rosen, and I am running for reelection as Water Commissioner after serving two terms. As a long-time Acton resident, I have volunteered for many years in water and stormwater issues. From 2004 to 2019, I served on the Acton Water District’s Water-Land Management Advisory Committee (WLMAC), providing me with a strong understanding of the decisions commissioners must make. I also volunteer on the Water Resources Advisory Committee, which provides water, groundwater, and stormwater advice to the Town of Acton Select Board.

During my tenure as water commissioner, the Board successfully addressed many pressing issues, including PFAS contamination, critical funding, water supply protection and options, and hiring needs. When we discovered PFAS in our water supply, I worked with the Acton Select Board to secure funding through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA), leading to the construction of the North Acton PFAS treatment plant. The plant is operational, with two more plants expected to come online this fall. The District commissioned two new deep-bedrock wells in Central Acton to provide additional water supply options. We also completed several strategic land purchases to protect our wells and groundwater recharge areas and provide conservation land for the community. Additionally, we are exploring future water supply options, including those from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), in response to climate change. Due to retirements, the Board replaced the District Manager, Treasurer, Auditor, and our legal representative with exceptional talents.

I value collaboration with my dedicated colleagues to address our challenges. I appreciate your continued support and vote for Water Commissioner.

John Petersen:

The AWD has promoted conservation; one of the headers on the District web page is devoted to conservation. Importantly, these efforts have been successful as the volume of water used in town has not increased over the past few years. 

The District should provide water conservation incentives to landlords so that landlords have a direct financial incentive to conserve water. Since water conservation is dependent on individual behaviors (for example using dishwashers for full loads, detecting and repairing leaks), the District must reach out to renters to encourage conservation. The District should communicate with landlords to provide them with water conservation information that they can share with tenants and building managers. The District should investigate the best way to inform landlords and tenants about changes in volume of water used as feedback loops are important in modifying and maintaining changes in behavior. The District’s efforts to promote water conservation should include the schools as a mechanism to communicate with renters who have children in school. Historically, the District has provided open houses for various youth groups and the community to visit District facilities. With the new PFAS treatment facilities coming on line there is both a reason and opportunity to hold more open houses to engage the community, renters and home owners, in conservation efforts. 

Barry Rosen:

Acton has various types of rental properties. AWD communicates with tenants and landlords. In older buildings, a single water meter is billed to the landlord, while newer buildings usually have individual meters for each apartment and a master meter.

Landlords may cover the master meter’s usage or have tenants billed directly by AWD. Direct customers receive quarterly updates on their water usage and conservation tips. For tenants billed through management companies, AWD partners with them to share essential water information. Some renters have even participated in a bottled water cash rebate program for those sensitive to PFAS, showing they are receiving our messages.

AWD focuses on clear communication and makes it easy for tenants to subscribe to publications. We participate in public events to educate the community.

Since tenants often cannot control water fixtures installed by landlords, the district informs landlords about rebates for upgrading to efficient fixtures. For instance, replacing a toilet that uses over 5 gallons per flush with one that uses only 1.5 gallons can save significant water.

Our staff is available to assist tenants and landlords with questions, and we continually educate new tenants about water conservation due to the high turnover in rentals. 

John Petersen:

A comprehensive water district comprises at least four separate activities – water supply, water distribution, management of septic systems/sewers, and management of surface water. See for example Lexington where supply is via MWRA, distribution and septic by the water department. Even in Lexington the water department has no control over surface water (land use). Since the AWD is only responsible for water supply and water distribution, collaboration with Town government (DPW, zoning), Board of Health (septic) and the Sewer District is essential both to monitor and advise on water quality impact and water losses to runoff. 

With respect to the septic issue, the AWD well system is reasonably protected from septic contamination. However, the Town and ZBA should remain vigilant in permitting new systems. For existing systems, the Town and BOH should increase the frequency of notices to owners of noncompliant septic systems. The BOH should track compliance with the two-year pumping requirement. The frequency of septic pumping should be reported to the Town annually including the percentage of systems that are out of compliance. If progress toward meeting the pumping requirement is slow, the Town should consider a positive financial incentive, perhaps in the form of a tax rebate, to reduce the financial disincentive to frequent pumping. The role of the AWD management and Commissioners is to have representatives at meetings on the subject of septic systems and lobby for enforcement of existing regulations. 

Barry Rosen:

A failing septic system can significantly jeopardize Acton’s drinking water quality. Contaminants such as E. coli, nitrates, and phosphates can seep into the soil and groundwater, posing risks to nearby wells. The closer a malfunctioning septic system is to a well or a well recharge area, the greater the likelihood of contamination. Excess nutrients like nitrates and phosphates can lead to adverse health effects and contribute to algal blooms in surface water, harming the local ecosystem.

The Acton Water District (AWD) is committed to protecting wells and recharge areas from all sources of contamination. The AWD regularly tests all its water sources, working closely with the Town of Acton Health Department to monitor and identify sources of contamination and find solutions to any issues that arise. The Board of Health is primarily responsible for enforcing regulations that ensure septic system compliance, including the MassDEP Title 5 standards.

The AWD provides the town with vital water quality data, such as coliform levels and other contaminant information. This collaboration ensures the Board of Health stays informed about risks from septic systems and other sources affecting drinking water. We will continue to work with the town to distribute educational materials on protecting the water supply.

John Petersen:

As noted in the previous question, the AWD only controls water supply and water distribution so collaboration with Town government is essential both to monitor and advise on water quality impact of Town DPW activities including the application of road salt (type and quantity). Private use of salt contributes to increasing water salinity, so the AWD has an interest in reducing private use of salt. In New England, road treatment is essential to improve road safety and reduce traffic accidents. Elimination of road treatment with salt is not a reasonable or desirable option. 

The work of Green Acton and OARS has been very important in providing baseline data establishing that salinity is increasing and has reached the level of public health concern. The immediate action for the AWD is to better publicize the work that Green Acton and OARS have done. To the extent that some salt alternatives (calcium chloride) may increase DPW costs, the AWD could consider subsidizing purchases to reduce the financial incentives to use sodium chloride in road treatment. Likewise, the AWD has a vested interest in the quality of road salt application so the Commissioners should lobby for improvements in Acton DPW equipment. With respect to private uses, AWD should encourage the use of alternatives to sodium chloride. 

Barry Rosen:

Having high levels of salt in water is a problem for several reasons. First and foremost, it can be a health concern for many people by elevating blood pressure and/or worsening other existing health conditions. Elevated chloride levels can corrode plumbing, fixtures, and pipes in one’s home and the AWD’s infrastructure.  High salt levels may be caused by road salt, fertilizers, or even poorly maintained water softeners used by residents or businesses. The AWD has been working with the Town of Acton DPW (Department of Public Works) by providing information demonstrating the continued rise in salt in many of Acton’s wells. The snow and ice melting chemicals used by the DPW to treat the town’s roads likely contribute to the chloride increase in the AWD wells. Acton also has many businesses that use chemicals to keep their parking areas and walkways clear of snow.

The AWD works with the community to promote awareness about water conservation and the impact of pollutants like road salt on water quality. This includes encouraging reduced use of de-icing materials and proper application techniques during winter months. The AWD works with the town to educate the businesses and their maintenance people on the need to reduce the use of road salt applications on private roads/driveways and parking areas. We also urge operators to calibrate road salt spreaders to use the minimum chemical necessary. The AWD can also encourage the town and others to use alternatives such as pre-treatment with salt brine, which has proven effective in reducing the amount of road salting. Similarly, the town and AWD should continue raising this issue with the State Department of Transportation, which is responsible for maintaining many of Acton’s roads.

John Petersen:

Acton will never face a unilateral decision to join the MWRA, the opportunity to join MWRA will only be the result of the desire of multiple communities to join the MWRA. As such, the current process in which Acton has joined with neighboring communities to study the feasibility of joining MWRA makes both administrative and economic sense. Given the costs and complexity of the process of joining MWRA, it is important to engage with state government throughout the evaluation process, as it is likely that without state financial support, the cost of joining the MWRA will be beyond the capacity of the Acton and neighboring communities. 

As the process continues, we should explore the hybrid option – MWRA providing a portion of Acton’s water supply needs with the District continuing to maintain supply capability and providing some percentage of Acton’s water supply. Needham is an example of a community with a hybrid supply, the community is the main source of supply while MWRA provides 10–20% of Needham’s water supply and provides 100% wastewater treatment. 

Adding MWRA as a source of water supply for Acton will certainly take at least 15–20 years. Thus, it is critical that AWD works to maintain the quality and quantity of our local supply. The MWRA is not an infinitely large source of supply so it is prudent to work to a plan that does not make Acton wholly reliant on MWRA for its water supply. A hybrid supply strategy is likely to emerge from the MWRA connection study. 

Regardless of the source of water, Acton will locally be responsible for distribution. We must be committed to maintaining and improving our water distribution system. 

Barry Rosen:

The AWD has begun examining whether using the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) as a water source is feasible. Whether or not to join MWRA is a complex decision because there are many components. Since March 2023, we have met MWRA officials and CDM Smith, their engineering consultants, to understand how MetroWest towns might benefit from membership. During the 2023 Annual AWD meeting, voters allocated funds for the commissioners to hire a consultant to study the local issues of joining MWRA. Earlier this year, in discussions with Maynard, we learned they were also planning to hire a consultant for the same purpose. I suggested, and the commissioners authorized our legal counsel to draft an intermunicipal agreement (IMA) with Maynard that would allow other MetroWest towns to join us in hiring a consultant, where we would share the expense. So far, Acton, Maynard, Concord, Ayer, Westford, Groton, Bedford, and Lincoln have joined. Together, the consortium expects to learn about cost-sharing models, benefits, sources of funding, and the logistics of using MWRA as a partial or complete water source. The next step is to hire a consultant.

We hope the public will attend our twice-monthly Commissioner’s meetings on Mondays at 7:00 PM, where information on this topic will be discussed. If the study shows that MWRA membership seems feasible, the commissioners expect to hold outreach meetings with the community to present the information, answer questions, and listen to feedback. Educating the voters is a significant commitment of the commissioners. Ultimately, the final decision will be up to the community, as joining the MWRA requires many financial, regulatory, and legislative approvals. We hope that a shared approach to the research, construction, and financing will provide a feasible option for the voters to consider.