Clean Water at Risk, Let’s Save It!

Speaker: Jon-Eric White, PE, City Engineer
Event Date: 
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 - 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Clean Water at Risk, Let’s Save It!” is the first program in this series to look specifically at Newburyport.

City Engineer Jon-Eric White will share the City’s plans for protecting our community’s water supply.

Newburyport's drinking water comes from both surface water and groundwater supplies. The surface supplies, which provide most of our water (80%), are the Indian Hill Reservoir in West Newbury, the Artichoke Reservoirs in both West Newbury and Newburyport, and the Bartlett Spring Pond in Newburyport. The remaining 20% of our drinking water is supplied by two gravel-packed wells located along Ferry Road in Newburyport. White will discuss our water supply's vulnerabilities and offer some potential short-term and long-term solutions for protecting our reservoirs, watershed and aquifer. These solutions can include protecting the existing water sources through ordinances as well as searching for new sources. 

Jon-Eric White has been Newburyport's City Engineer since 2009. Prior to assuming this role he had 20 years of experience as an engineer and project manager at several consulting firms. During that time, he designed and managed many projects for the MWRA’s Boston Harbor Cleanup, including the new wastewater treatment plant on Deer Island. He also worked on the Central Artery Tunnel, the MBTA Commuter Rail Extension into the South Shore, and a number of private commercial and residential development and highway projects throughout the state.

Tracy Adamski and Thomas Cusick, Jr. will join White for a post-presentation panel discussion. Tracy Adamski, AICP, is a Vice President at the consulting firm Tighe & Bond which was hired by the City to provide recommendations for improvements to the entire water supply system. Thomas Cusick is the City’s Water Treatment Superintendent and will be available to answer questions about water treatment, demand and supply and watershed management.

If you are attending, please register at https://www.storm-surge.org/ so we can plan for the seating.