Auditor’s office conducts survey to assess water system costs

The state auditor’s office launched a statewide online survey on Nov. 9 to examine the cost impacts of local water infrastructure maintenance.
 
The auditor’s office will use the survey results to report on the ways that regulatory changes, climate change, and a growing backlog in water system upgrades are affecting municipal budgets.
 
The Division of Local Mandates is conducting the survey.
 
Under statutory authority granted by Proposition 2½, the Division of Local Mandates periodically issues “Municipal Impact Studies” that document major fiscal effects of state laws, regulations and policies on local governments. The two most recent studies – on cost impacts of the state’s hotel/motel homeless shelter program and the state’s dam safety law – both led to changes in state funding and administrative procedures designed to ease local fiscal impacts.
 
In a letter to municipal officials, the Division of Local Mandates said the purpose of its current survey is “to update the estimate of our state’s water infrastructure investment gap and to examine potential best practices, regulatory strategies and funding mechanisms designed to help close that gap … as well as to solicit local input on the current use of various funding sources and the embrace of new water system strategies and technologies designed to improve efficiency and manage costs.”
 
MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith said the survey “comes at a critical moment in the discussion of water-related challenges” for many cities and towns.
 
“The MMA has been pushing hard for greater awareness of the importance of enhanced water systems – drinking water, wastewater and stormwater – to the continued economic and environment health of cities and towns,” Beckwith said. “We hope the survey will provide the data needed to understand the scope of challenges facing municipalities and the strategies needed to meet them.”
 
The MMA has urged state and federal officials to provide more data about the true cost to cities and towns of programs such as the state’s Sustainable Water Management Initiative (SWMI) and changes to federal Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit standards.
 
“A 2012 report from the Massachusetts Water Infrastructure Commission estimated that the Commonwealth faced a $21.4 billion, 20-year funding gap in necessary water infrastructure investment – and that estimate didn’t take SWMI, MS4 or climate change impacts into account,” Beckwith said. “It’s time to take a fresh look at these costs, as well as exploring ways for the state to work with cities and towns to develop innovative, cost-effective, long-term plans to address this looming challenge.
 
“It’s increasingly clear to our members that we need a holistic approach to water infrastructure funding and regulation that allows communities to plan their long-term investments to achieve the best possible use of their limited resources,” Beckwith said. “With Gov. Charlie Baker calling for a full review of state regulations and creating a Community Compact Cabinet to promote better accountability, best administrative practices, and closer partnerships with local government, it is critical that our members participate in this important survey so that it accurately reflects the true costs burden of these unfunded mandates.”
 
For more information about the survey, local officials are advised to contact Tom Champion at the Division of Local Mandates at thomas.champion@sao.state.ma.us or (857) 242-5427.