Thank you to all who attended the June 27th Public Meeting on The Sustainable Water Management Initiative in the Neponset Valley.
The Commonwealth is on the verge of the most dramatic reworking of its water withdrawal permitting rules in more than two decades. Known as the Sustainable Water Management Initiative or “SWMI,” the new program will require communities to reexamine how they get their water, and take steps to more closely coordinate their water supply, stormwater management, wastewater management, wetlands protection, and land use regulation activities.
Seven of the eight communities that supply their own water in the Neponset Valley have come together with funding from MassDEP to examine what the new rules may mean for each community and assess some of the tools they can use to manage their water resources more sustainably. Analysis for the project was performed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Weston and Sampson Engineers, and the Neponset River Watershed Association.
On June 27, we held a presentation and discussion of what SWMI is and an overview of the study’s findings. The general public, water commissioners, selectmen, planning board members, boards of health and conservation commissioners were especially encouraged to participate.
Ian Cooke
Executive Director
Neponset River Watershed Association
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