Sen. Warren sends letter to EPA about Norton water worries

NORTON, Mass. – Norton residents have been dealing with water problems for years, and now Sen. Elizabeth Warren is asking the EPA to get involved.

Boston 25 News has reported on the faucets running yellow and brown there for an extended period of time, and many people say nothing has changed since light was first shed on the issue.

The problem has been going on for so long there’s a Facebook page dedicated to it. People who live in the town said they never know what they’re going to get when they run their faucets -- the water lines are so full of iron and manganese that the hydrants have to be flushed weekly.

Take Margaret Gildersleeve for example. Last year, Boston 25 News spoke with her and recorded video of water coming from her taps. Today, the water looks identical.

>>LAST YEAR: Discolored, poor-tasting water an everyday struggle for Norton residents

She, like other residents, has to use bottled water for drinking and cooking, and has problems with white laundry turning brown and bath water looking murky. This time last year, the town was looking to create a water treatment facility but construction was put on hold because the land may have connections to the Wampanoag Indian tribe. Margaret says it’s about time the EPA steps in and takes charge.

“Would you want to drink water that looks like on same days tea or other days coffee? And its water. No, no thanks,” she said.

In a letter written Friday, Sen. Warren asked the EPA to make sure the water here meets health standards, determine the cause, and work with local officials to address the problem.

Chairman of the Norton Board of Selectmen Robert W. Kimball Jr. sent Boston 25 News the follow statement:

As a Norton resident since 1979 I too have experienced an increase in sentiment and color of the water we drink. The town has doubled in population since I moved here. I totally agree with other town residents that the color and quality of the water is questionable. I am encouraged that Senator Warren has become involved and I hope the intervention will assist the town of Norton in fast tracking the process to build our first water treatment plant. We have discussed dirty water for the past 22 years I have served as a member of the board of Selectmen. We are the last community in line that draws our water supply from the Canoe River aquiver and the only community that has not built a water treatment plant. 
The funding is in place and the permitting is almost completed. Any assistance by Senator Warren to expedite the building of the water treatment plant will be greatly appreciated by the residence of Norton.

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