Persip Responds to Pittsfield Water Restriction Backlash

Earl Persip, President of the City Council, called into the show this morning to clear up the confusion swirling around the recent water restriction notice. If you've been scrolling through the comments on our Facebook page about the press release, you've probably seen some frustration, so Persip wanted to explain the "why" behind it.

Here's the short version: this isn't some random inconvenience. Every year around late August or early September, the reservoir tends to dip lower than the city wants it to. This restriction now is about getting ahead of that, so we don't end up with a much more serious restriction later in the summer when things are tighter.

Persip also pushed back on the idea that the city profits off your water bill. He was clear that every dollar collected for the water utility goes right back into the utility itself, to keep the water treatment system safe and your water drinkable. The city isn't pocketing anything.

As for the social media outrage about golf courses and car washes seemingly getting a pass, Persip addressed that too. Golf courses typically have their own separate water supply, and car washes largely use recycled water, so neither is drawing from the same reservoir residents are being asked to conserve.

It's easy to jump straight to "rules for me but not for them" when you see a headline, but the details usually tell a different story. Sometimes it pays to read past the press release before hitting that comment button.