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S 655

An Act advancing water access equity through utility reporting requirements

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Becca Rausch

Massachusetts water utilities must report standardized data on service quality and access disparities to identify and address inequitable water service across communities.

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means
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Bill Summary · S 655

Legislative bill overview

S 655 requires water utilities in Massachusetts to implement standardized reporting requirements designed to identify and address disparities in water access and service quality across different communities. The bill mandates utilities collect and publicly report data on service interruptions, affordability metrics, and demographic information about service areas to increase transparency and accountability.

Why is this important

Water access inequity is a documented problem where lower-income and minority communities often experience worse service quality, higher costs, and less reliable infrastructure. Mandatory reporting creates baseline data that can inform policy decisions, direct infrastructure investments, and help identify systemic disparities that currently lack quantification at the statewide level.

Potential points of contention

  • Compliance costs: Small water utilities may face significant expenses implementing new reporting systems and data collection infrastructure, potentially passed to ratepayers
  • Data privacy concerns: Collecting demographic data linked to service areas raises questions about how this information is protected and whether it could enable discriminatory practices if misused
  • Scope and definitions: Disagreement likely over which metrics matter most, how "equity" is defined, and whether reporting alone drives meaningful investment versus requiring specific remediation timelines

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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