Press Release  MassDEP Penalizes Housatonic Water Works Company for Failure to Comply with Consent Order

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a $2,500 Demand for Payment of Suspended Penalty to Housatonic Water Works Company for failure to comply with a July 2025 Administrative Consent Order with Penalty. The Order required the company to complete a manganese treatment plant at its drinking water treatment facility in Great Barrington by June 1, 2026. 

“It is unacceptable that Housatonic Water Works has failed to meet the required deadline for completing and placing the manganese treatment system into operation,” said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP’s Western Regional Office in Springfield. “MassDEP expects the company to accelerate construction of the treatment plant and make it operational without further delay.” 

Under the terms of the 2025 order, Housatonic Water Works agreed to complete the manganese treatment plant by March 1, 2026, to mitigate ongoing seasonal drinking water discoloration affecting the company’s service areas. MassDEP agreed to suspend the full penalty of $12,360 on the condition that Housatonic Water Works complied with the requirements of the order. The Company subsequently requested an extension of the March 1 deadline, citing pending litigation and related delays in acquiring required construction funding. MassDEP extended the completion date to June 1, 2026. The Company requested an additional extension; MassDEP denied that request. 
 
Housatonic Water Works had failed to complete construction of the treatment plant. Based on that violation of its Order, MassDEP demanded partial payment of the suspended penalty in the amount of $2,500. Penalty costs may not be passed along to ratepayers in any way. MassDEP will continue to track this matter closely until compliance is achieved. 

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