Communities sign 'historic' charter to address water problems

Sep. 29—DANVERS — Officials from several North Shore communities signed what they called a "historic" charter on Wednesday, promising to work together to solve the area's worsening water supply problem.

In what Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr called an "unprecedented" move, representatives of 18 cites and towns signed the North Shore Water Resilience Task Force charter in a ceremony at Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School.

By signing the document, the communities agree to abide by decisions made by the task force, rather than the piecemeal approach that they have often taken to water supply and water conservation.

"We have to be proactive about drought and we have to be serious about working together," said Tarr, a Republican from Gloucester.

The agreement comes on the heels of a summer drought that further depleted the Ipswich River, which supplies drinking water for 350,000 people in 14 communities. The Ipswich has been named one of the country's most endangered river three times in the past 25 years.

The North Shore Water Resilience Task Force was actually formed five years ago after the droughts of 2015 and 2016. But achieving consensus on solutions has been difficult due to the various needs of the communities that draw their water from the Ipswich River.

While many communities are forced to enact outdoor watering bans during droughts, for example, Salem and Beverly are not because of their system of reservoirs that enables them to store water in the winter.

"We always seem to have plenty of water," said state Sen. Joan Lovely, D-Salem, referring to Salem and Beverly. "Well, we don't. That water is precious. We need a regional approach."

The Salem and Beverly Water Supply Board, which manages the water supply for the two cities, is one of the entities that signed on to the task force charter. Ipswich River Watershed Association Executive Director Wayne Castonguay, whose group is also part of the task force, said the board's participation was a "catalyst" for the charter signing.

"Salem/Beverly is really a key to the solution," Castonguay said.

Communities that signed the charter include the cities of Beverly, Lynn, Peabody and Salem and the towns of Andover, Boxford, Burlington, Danvers, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Middleton, North Andover, North Reading, Reading, Topsfield, Wenham and Wilmington.

Several state legislators, led by Tarr, who co-founded and chaired the task force, signed on as "conveners," meaning they will provide support, including through legislative action. Representatives of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will serve as "facilitators" to prepare and moderate meetings.

The task force is considering several measures, including developing a new reservoir in Topsfield, buying water from the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, and improving connections among communities to share water. It will also look at the feasibility of desalination, coming up with more consistent residential per capita use targets, and creating a regional water authority, among other steps. The task force will also explore state and federal funding for projects.

The charter says that decisions will be made by "full consensus, defined as unanimous support" of task force members. If consensus can't be reached, no action will be taken, although there can be further discussions. Tarr said the meetings will be open to the public.

Tarr said that although the task force has existed for five years, the signing of the charter means that its members "pledge to each other a way to move forward and try to identify consensus and if we can, to able to act on that consensus."

Castonguay called the charter signing an "incredible time" for the Ipswich River and the communities that rely on it.

"I know we've had our differences in the past," he said to the group. "We've been literally working on this issue for 45 years, if you can believe it. We have the dubious distinction of being the most flow-depleted river in New England, but yet we're also the lifeblood of the region. I'm just overwhelmed by people willing to put our differences aside and come together here."

Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.