Peter Schworm
The Boston Globe
January 14, 2011
One hundred major municipal dams across the state are in poor condition and could cause significant property damage if they failed, the state auditor’s office reported yesterday, renewing calls for stricter oversight.
The two-year investigation concluded that the state’s aging and neglected stock of dams poses a “significant threat to public safety’’ and needs an estimated $60 million in repairs. More than one in five potentially hazardous public dams have substantial structural deficiencies, the report found.
Auditor A. Joseph DeNucci called on the Legislature to establish a no-interest loan program to help communities pay for the repairs.
“These are difficult times, but some prudent budgeting and financing now could avert a major crisis in the future,’’ he said in a statement that accompanied the report. He noted that delaying repairs would sharply increase their cost.
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