Speaker DeLeo calls for pipe break hearings

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo said today that he would work with the governor and Senate President Therese Murray to hold hearings about the pipe break, perhaps later this week.

DeLeo said his goal is not to cast blame but to find out why the pipe broke and prevent a similar problem from occurring in the future.

"This was a catastrophe and we've got to get to the bottom of this," said DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat who described seeing mom-and-pop businesses throughout his district closed on Saturday night for lack of clean water. "We've got to learn exactly what happened."

DeLeo said he would also begin pushing for federal aid to ensure that the cost of the problem is not passed on to ratepayers served by the water resources authority.

"I'm guessing that millions and millions of dollars have been lost in this," he said. "I don't want to see this passed on to the ratepayers."

Michael Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.com