Wastewater treatment facility study right choice

Wastewater treatment facility study right choice

To The Editor: 4/16/2014
Joan M. Gould
Gardner

To The Editor:

Three articles in the April 11, 2014 edition of The Gardner News caught my attention.

First, Mike Richard’s final five part series on the Greenwood Memorial Pool.  Kudos Mike, it brought back many childhood memories.

Second, was Kimberly Petalas article ‘Council approves $363K for Wastewater Treatment Facility study’. And I will be the first to admit, it is way overdue. 

Gardner has had a sewer capacity problem for quite a number of years.  I first heard of it and have documentation that in 2004, it was stated in a Final Environmental Impact Report on Wastewater, that the sewer appears to have adequate reserve capacity, “except in wet weather” — which means sewer covers erupt in raining weather etc. and you know what spills all over city streets.


Also mentioned in the article is that sewer rates will increase, all improvements will be paid for by the Sewer Enterprise Fund and that “No tax revenue will be used for the upgrades.”

Gosh, who does the city think are the rate payers of Gardner? We are the taxpayers.

Now, this study is composed of three phases, the last phase will be to expand the Sludge Landfill on West Street miles apart, which is expected to keep the landfill going for many years.

Any consideration for the residents in the neighborhood down wind of this dump?

For those of you who don’t know, this sludge dump is right in back of the ‘dump’ on West Street.

Having said that, it’s true the ‘dump’ has been capped, however, flares fail and the aromas of the sludge dump will last for years. What do you do then? 

The third article went to page 13 and 14 in Legal Notices, Water, Sewer, and Trash bills owed greater than one year. 

What a coincidence, sewer bills going up and people are having such a hard time now paying their bills. 

Not only that, our real estate taxes have gone up 2-1/2 percent each year since 2008.  Go figure.

I will end by quoting part of The Purpose of Gardner’s Zoning Ordinance. 

The purpose of the zoning ordinance is to promote the health, safety, convenience, morals and welfare of the present and future inhabitants of the City of Gardner.  To lessen congestion in the streets; To conserve health; To provide adequate light and air ... etc.

Joan M. Gould
Gardner