City Fined for Contamination

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has asked Cambridge to pay $31,000 for violating a state water quality regulation, but the city will appeal the fine, City Manager Robert W. Healy told the City Council last night.

The state claims that Cambridge violated a regulation requiring community water systems to notify the public if the level of a contaminant known as trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water exceeds a certain level.

State law sets the maximum amount of THMs at 100 parts per billion, but over the past year, the level in Cambridge's water ranged between 107 and 130.

Agent Thought to Cause Cancer

THMs form as a by-product to the disinfection process when chlorine reacts to organic compounds in the water. Although the contaminant's effects on people are still being studied, it is thought to cause cancer, according to a state letter dated November 2.

The letter, distributed to councillors last night, charged that the city repeatedly failed to notify the public of high contaminant levels.

But Healy said Cambridge was aware of the level of THMs in drinking water and met its legal obligation to notify its citizens.

"The notice was in fact advertised in local newspapers," Healy told the council.

Healy cited miscommunication between the city and state as one reason the penalty was levied. He said he had discussed the matter with state officials and hoped to have it resolved soon.

Inspection Program

In other business, the council considered a proposal to launch a citywide housing inspection program for the purpose of raising revenue.

Cambridge housing inspector Anthony D. Pini said the city could raise more than $1 million by charging each of the city's 42,000 housing units a $25 inspection fee.

Pini said such a program would help the city make up for a $3.7 million cut in state aid to Cambridge.

Pini added that the program could also improve the quality of housing because the rule would force inspectors to evaluate all housing in the city and make repairs where needed.

Councillor Saundra M. Graham said, however, that she was concerned about the possible impacts of such a program on low-income tenants. She said that some tenants may not be able to afford the improvements that housing inspectors would recommend.

But Pini said the city could either raise rent ceilings to pay for the repairs or use the money from the fees to subsidize improvements for low-income tenants.

Pini asked Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci to appoint a committee to evaluate such an inspection program. But the council voted to delay action until receiving a written proposal.

Vellucci also said he wanted to establish a committee to examine "who snatched up all the houses, who did a lot of grabbing" after World War II. He said he would call the group the "Pointing the Finger" Commission, prompting Danehy to ask, "Which finger?"

"We know who was responsible for Kendall Square and who was responsible for chasing out 96 industries," Vellucci said, singling out Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the culprits.

Councillors also took several minutes to reflect on last week's City Council elections. Of the six councillors who sought re-election, five--with the exception of Danehy--were returned to office.