Private Water System May Be Taken Over By Cheshire

Cheshire is considering taking over the private Hutchinson Water Co. system.

iBerkshires.com Selectman Robert Ciskowski asked the board on Tuesday to consider acquiring the South Cheshire water system that he thinks could be an asset to the community.

The town received a letter from the water system owners in March offering it the water supply. The letter stated that the Hutchinson family was no longer interested in running the system that supplies more than 20 homes in the Hutchinson Acres development, which was established more than 50 years ago.

Town officials were initially hesitant to take the water system because they knew it had issues. The Water Department was not interested either.

Ciskowski said he anticipates development in that area and it is often cumbersome for wells to supply water to sprinklers that commercial or industrial operations need.

"New industrial or commercial are going to need sprinklers and if that is our industrial area it is not going to work very well," he said. "It is difficult with wells you have to have big storage areas that can’t freeze. If there is going to be growth in town it is going to be in that area."

Ciskowski said this was part of the reason why the Girards pulled out of a proposed marijuana retail facility at the former Country Charm.

Not only does he have concerns about the Hutchinson residents who are using a compromised system but thought that the town could also use the source as a backup supply.

The weeds create a fire hazard because they clog the Fire Department pumps and also give off a bad smell.