Documents: Press releases:
Trust strategic plan

Boston, MA - November 23, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

As part of their strategic planning process, the trustees of the Boston Groundwater Trust adopted five goals to guide them in achieving their vision: "A Boston where groundwater levels are raised so that no buildings are torn down or need repair due to groundwater depletion".

Goal One, the key to all that the Trust hopes to be a part of accomplishing, is to raise groundwater levels. The Trustees also adopted a series of objectives that include, among others, facilitating the locating of leaking infrastructure through monitoring, decreasing the amount of groundwater removed from the ground, and increasing the amount of precipitation that goes into the ground.

Goal Two is to keep the reality of groundwater vulnerability in front of the public by publicizing the Trust’s work, improving data collection and reporting, becoming the central repository of groundwater information, and increasing education efforts.

Goal Three is to provide technical assistance to property owners by developing an education program to encourage homeowners to recharge, studying new and alternative methods of underpinning foundations, and studying alternative methods of determining pile cutoff elevations and the condition of pilings.

Goal Four is to investigate possible sources of financial assistance for property owners in need of underpinning due to groundwater depletion. The Trust plans to develop proposals that would make those potentially responsible for groundwater depletion due to excavation or construction contribute to a fund to pay for property owner repair costs. It will also explore potential low cost loans or other public or private sector funding sources to pay for necessary repairs.

Goal Five is to establish long term funding to define a system to monitor wells and analyze what is happening to groundwater levels by working with the Mayor and City Council to identify a reliable funding stream.

The Boston Groundwater Trust was established by the Boston City Council to monitor groundwater levels in sections of the City where building foundations are threatened by reduced groundwater levels and to make recommendations to solve the problem. Its area of concern was expanded to cover any area of the City where the problem may occur in an ordinance passed by the Council and signed by the Mayor in September. The Board of Trustees includes eight Constituent Trustees appointed by the Mayor at the nomination of designated neighborhood and business organizations, as well as four ex-officio trustees, three appointed by the Mayor and one by the President of the City Council.

For more information on this release or on the Boston Groundwater Trust, please contact Elliott Laffer, the Executive Director, at 617-859-8439 or elaffer@BGwT.org, or visit our website, www.bostongroundwater.org.