Drinking Water Week is an annual event celebrated in the United States during the first full week of May. The event was first established by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in 1988 to recognize the importance of safe and clean drinking water.

On May 8, 2023, the Town of Weston voted in favor of funding the design to replace the Paines Hill, Cat Rock and Doublet Hill Water Storage Tanks that are nearing the end of their useful life. Water storage is an essential component of a municipal water system, it stabilizes pressure fluctuations, provides a cushion to the system during peak demand periods and meets firefighting and emergency needs.

Leading up to Town Meeting, the project team consisting of Laurie Bent, Weston Selectboard Member, Leon Gaumond, Town Manager, Tom Cullen, P.E., Director of Operations, Department of Public Works, Robert Williamson, P.E., Senior Project Manager, Wright-Pierce, Amy Coppers Costantino, P.E., Lead Project Engineer, Wright-Pierce, Nichol Figueiredo, CEO, Capital Strategic Solutions, Blythe Robinson, Development Executive, Capital Strategic Solutions prepared the community by educating the community about Weston’s Water System.

This is our moment to ensure water security for future generations. It’s our duty to design and build tanks that will be of service to the Town for the next five decades.

Laurie Bent

Select Board Member, Town of Weston

The team utilized multiple mediums to share information about the water system, including community forums, streamlining information with the westonwatertanks.com website, distribution of project brochures, social media posts, and enlisted Capital Strategic Solution’s media production partner, MediaBoss to create an informative video about Weston’s water system and the necessity to replace the existing water tanks featuring interviews from the project team and as well as Fire Chief Justin Woodside. By utilizing a shared media method, the team was able to effectively and efficiently connect with residents in Weston and provide them with the information that they needed to make an informed decision at Town Meeting.

Several folks came up to me at Town Meeting and indicated how informative the video was; it made an impression.

Tom Cullen, P.E.

Director of Operations, Department of Public Works, Town of Weston

By educating community members about their drinking water, it can help them understand the importance of investing in and maintaining infrastructure, such as pipes, treatment plants, and storage facilities, that is needed to ensure a reliable supply of safe drinking water. Access to clean water is essential during emergencies, such as natural disasters or water supply disruptions. Communities that have reliable access to water are better equipped to respond to these situations and support their residents.

Achieving water security for a community requires a comprehensive approach that considers water supply, quality, distribution, conservation, management, and community engagement. By taking a holistic approach to water security, communities can ensure that they have access to safe, reliable, and sustainable water resources now and in the future.

We are proud of working with the Town of Weston, Wright-Pierce and MediaBoss on this critical project to ensure that Weston residents achieve their goal of designing a water system with enough storage capacity for future generations to come.

Nichol Figueiredo

CEO, Capital Strategic Solutions, LLC.

At CSS, we work with community leaders across New England to provide residents and businesses with the information they need to make sound decisions through collaboration, open dialogue, and transparent communications. Civic engagement will drive solutions that have the potential to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders and provide a flourishing future for generations to come.