Housatonic residents take water matters into their own hands

Housatonic, MA — (NEWS10) After years of grappling with water quality issues, residents in Housatonic are mobilizing to track and address the problem. Many in the community feel a lack of clear answers from Housatonic Water Works, leading local resident Cecilia Turner to take action by creating a website that maps and documents water quality issues reported by others in town.

Turner, who lives in Housatonic with her husband and three-year-old daughter, says she felt compelled to create a platform where residents could share their experiences. Her website, housatonicwateraction.org, went live on September 19 and features a digital map that allows residents to log instances of discolored water and other issues. Turner says the goal is to shed light on the scale and nature of the problem in the absence of detailed information from official sources.

“So far, 45 people have filled out the form,” Turner said. “I started it because there’s so much that’s just not known. One day your neighbor has brown water, and you don’t. I wanted to add data to see what’s really happening in different areas.”

Residents’ accounts describe water coming out of their faucets brown in color, sparking concerns about potential contaminants. Some, like Turner, feel uncertainty about whether the water is safe and why certain areas are affected more than others. Turner notes that a few submissions coincided with scheduled pipe flushing by Housatonic Water Works, a maintenance process known to cause temporary discoloration. To maintain accuracy, she says she plans to color-code entries submitted during flushing days.

“People are busy, so I want to make it as easy as possible for them to report water issues,” Turner explained. “This way, we can pinpoint how widespread the issue is and identify areas of town that may be worse off. It’s about getting a clearer picture so it’s less of a ‘he said, she said.’”

The efforts in Housatonic have also drawn support from community members like Paul Tawczynski, owner of Taft Farms. Recognizing the need for reliable water, Tawczynski has made two frost-free hydrants available at his store for residents to access clean water whenever needed.

“We have two hydrants out front that run 24/7,” Tawczynski said. “We use them for our plants, but outside of peak times, anyone is welcome to fill up. You don’t even have to shop here—just come in and get water. It’s the right thing to do.”

While Housatonic Water Works has performed routine maintenance, residents say they still feel they lack clear information on why water discoloration is so persistent and how it may impact health. Turner hopes that the data from the website will provide insight into the scale of the issue, encouraging broader awareness and possibly stronger action.

“People deserve to understand what’s happening with the water in their own homes,” Turner said. “The more people report, the better we can see if this is a town-wide issue or something that affects certain areas more than others.”

For now, residents continue to seek answers, and with local efforts like Turner’s website and the support from businesses like Taft Farms, they’re working to find their own solutions and better understand what’s behind Housatonic’s ongoing water issues.

I spoke to Housatonic Water Works treasurer James Mercer, who told me he is happy residents are getting involved.