Letter to the editor: what’s the plan for Wellesley’s water supply?

To the editor:

There’s a lesson from Maui about water. I have had continuing concerns that Wellesley planning ignores the possibility that like many places in the world it could run out. Last summer the water department told me they were not empowered to enforce water restrictions only to raise the cost to the user. There is a growing number of communities which are limiting automatic sprinkler systems to support the growth of nonnative landscaping which grows and then requires chemicals to thrive and regular harvest by gas powered devices followed by disposal in land fills.

The west Maui fire burned abandoned farm land with such limited water that hydrants were dry. Ironically water on the islands has always been limited by the availability of ground water. It ran out at the edge of town.

I am naturally curious about water use plans for the lots behind me. I doubt that it will be influenced by obvious changes to my landscape that the last decade has brought. Sadly it is a road to Maui.

Elizabeth Ross
Wellesley resident