READING – The Select Board last week discussed the long-term future of a series of inactive water supply wells in the Town Forest, raising questions about whether the town should continue spending money to maintain emergency water rights that may never be used.
Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Chris Cole presented an update on the town’s well field maintenance program, explaining that Reading currently spends approximately $20,000 annually to maintain three of nine wells located in the Town Forest. The maintenance is required to keep the wells classified as operational under the town’s Administrative Consent Order (ACO) with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
“Overall we have a total of nine wells in the Town Forest,” Cole told the board. “Three of them are maintained every year to classify them as operational on an emergency basis to comply with our ACO registration.”…