Woburn faces fine for violating water laws
The state Department of Environmental Protection has found Woburn in violation of drinking-water laws and has ordered the city to immediately approve a plan to install residential water meters, among other requirements, or face potential legal action and financial penalties. The City Council has called an emergency meeting for Wednesday to discuss the situation, which multiple councilors said came as a surprise.
Installing 10,000 meters could cost $5 million, according to a projection by the city's engineer, and would probably also increase water bills for residents, who currently pay a flat fee regardless of how much they use.
Businesses have meters and are billed for their consumption of Woburn's water, which comes from city wells and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
The DEP says Woburn failed to follow through on a June 2006 consent order that Mayor Thomas L. McLaughlin signed to rectify problems that predated his administration. In that order, Woburn agreed to make a number of changes and improvements, including the installation of meters.
In February, the DEP sent written notice about Woburn's failure to comply with some of the order's terms. It called for the city to sign a revised order with a timetable for making the improvements immediately and suggested that Woburn pay a penalty, or face other consequences.
McLaughlin and a DEP spokesman declined to comment, citing the potential for litigation.
Charles E. Doherty, president of the City Council, said his board - which controls city spending - was never notified about the 2006 order but now faces the prospect of having to approve millions of dollars for metering.
Doherty scheduled the emergency meeting for 7:30 p.m. in City Hall.
ERIC MOSKOWITZ 