Locally, we can thank Mayor Carlo DeMaria for taking swift action to avert greater problems than there were following the rupture of a major water delivery pipe in Weston on Saturday.
The mayor went into action immediately with the fire and police departments and with the city’s very able public health officials to put the full power of the city to work notifying residents, businesses, hospitals and nursing homes about the water crisis and of how exactly to deal with its unsettling reality.
He also worked quickly and effectively with Everett’s public schools and Superintendent of Schools Fred Foresteire.
It is proper to note that the public schools didn’t miss a beat or a step on Monday and that school went off without a hitch despite the fact there was no fresh water to be had in the Massachusetts Water Resources delivery system.
Governor Deval Patrick showed tremendous leadership qualities in his handling of the matter – which was no easy matter when two million Greater Bostonians lose their drinking water and chaos lurks around every corner in 30 cities and towns.
His crisis management was superlative and the fact the water is running again is not so much the business of the MWRA but rather, it is about the governor’s management skills – and in this instance, again – his leadership.
Now what must happen is an investigation.
The government needs to know and the people need to know what happened?
Why did such a major piece manufactured and installed to last a lifetime, fail in just six years?
That’s a good question, isn’t it?