United Water Attempts

To Revise History

To the Editor:

I read with disappointment United Water Manager Steve Houst’s letter to the editor, dated May 24, 2011. [“For The Record,” Letter Hive, 5/27/11.] That week the first selectman and land use department also shared with me their objections to Mr Houst’s attempt at revisionist history. Fortunately, the land use department kept a time line on events that exactly corresponded with my recollection. So, here are the facts, not half truths:

1) United Water never met with borough officials in October 2009. Never! The first meeting with borough officials was in May 2010. UW declared that work would begin June 1, 2010, which it did, until stopped with the assistance of Representative Chris Lyddy and Senator John McKinney!

2) The October 2009 contact was with Rob Sibley of the town’s land use department, where United Water asked generically if it were to expand water lines whether wetland approval was necessary. No specifics from the tight- lipped United Water.

3) I’m sorry, a six feet long by six feet high by four feet wide “painted steel electrical box” directly in front of Town Hall South is a monstrosity. Perhaps Mr Houst would like one constructed directly in front of his house.

4) UW demonstrated little concern regarding its impact on the Pootatuck and did use outdated studies. It used studies that predated the most recent US Geographical results, it used Newtown population and commercial records more than ten years old showing Newtown’s population at about 20,000, not 28,000. If UW truly cared about the Pootatuck and the water costs to consumers it would endorse the recent proposal of Aquarion Water to tie into Greenridge and resolve its contamination issue by the more economical and environmentally friendly means (this just came to fruition as a result of Aquarion’s recent acquisitions.)

5) UW at the May 18, 2010, meeting expressly stated it would only do patch work, not repave the entire Main Street. Zebra stripes. UW also said it wouldn’t concede the Historic District authority over Main Street.

6) The Greenridge Extended Service Area was so dubiously acquired that no maps could be agreed upon as submitted, and in fact the representative of the State Department of Public Health testified at the Newtown hearing that no agreed UW map was submitted.

7) Now, after the Aquarion acquisitions, it’s clear the United Water “Newtown system is [not] the most feasible solution to the problem.” It is the most financially lucrative to UW, but most taxing to the Pootatuck and most costly to ratepayers. Perhaps UW will come to realize that the town and the borough are active participants in the solutions to water issues, not passive pedestrians.

In short, UW’s attempt to rewrite history is unfortunate. United Water can redeem its reputation by endorsing the Aquarion proposal, which will better protect Greenridge, the Pootatuck, and save ratepayer’s money. The town and borough might then concede that UW has the environment and its customers’ interests at heart.

Thank you,

Jim Gaston

Warden, Borough of Newtown

18 Main Street, Newtown                                                   June 8, 2011