SPRINGFIELD — After the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission announced a proposed rate increase, state Rep. Orlando Ramos, D-Springfield, started a petition for residents that urges Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to address water issues in the city.
The 6.5% water and sewer rate increase, part of Water and Sewer Commission’s proposed budget, came weeks after the commission notified resident on April 7 that it had violated a drinking water standard in the first quarter of 2023. The increase would cost residents an average of $7.50 a month, the commission said.
“We call on the Commission to reject this dramatic rate increase, which will hurt middle class families disproportionately,” the petition reads. “The rate hike is unjust considering the ongoing failure to provide clean drinking water to Springfield residents.”
In its April notice, the commission said while it wasn’t an emergency, its routine testing showed it violated drinking water standards because the levels for haloacetic acids exceeded the contaminant’s maximum level at seven of eight testing sites.
A Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection fact sheet on haloacetic acids says the chemicals form when disinfectants react with other chemicals in the drinking water. Haloacetic acids are possibly cancer-causing, the fact sheet says, and are primarily a concern for pregnant women and children.
In an interview Friday, Ramos said the petition had received over 1,000 signatures.
Ramos, who is running for mayor against Sarno who is seeking reelection, hosted the petition on his campaign website. Residents filling out the form to join their names to the petition can select a box that says “I’d like to support Orlando Ramos for Mayor.”
Ramos said he is tackling this issue as a state representative, not a mayoral candidate. He said the reason for placing the petition on his campaign website is to keep track of whether or not signatures come from Springfield residents.
The petition also asks Sarno “to do his job” and use a portion of the millions the city received through the American Rescue Plan Act to address water issues in the city.
The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is holding a virtual hearing about its proposed $93.5 million budget on May 31 at 6 p.m.
Ramos reserved a space at 154 1/2 Main St. for residents who wish to testify at the commission’s hearing but have no internet access.
In a statement, Ramos said state and federal government have worked to address water issues in Springfield.
“Mayor Sarno received $126 million in ARPA funds, and he did not dedicate a single penny towards water quality and affordability,” Ramos said. “The residents of our city deserve clean water.”
Attempts to reach a representative from the Water and Sewer Commission were unsuccessful.
The Water and Sewer Commission notified residents last October that the city’s water contained chemical compounds in concentrations that exceed regulation levels, although it remained drinkable.
In the notice it sent to residents in April, the commission said it is working on a design for a new water treatment plant, a project it expects to finish by 2028.