Customer Login
Public Notices
Did You Know?
After a snow storm, you should shovel the snow away from fire hydrants in front of your home or business. This will greatly help the Fire Department in the event of an emergency, when response time is crucial.
Related Links
Board of Commissioners
The Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) was established in 1977 pursuant to a “home rule” petition adopted by the City of Boston and enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature as the Boston Water and Sewer Reorganization Act of 1977, Chapter 436 of the Acts of 1977 of the Commonwealth (the Act). The Act states that a three-member Board of Commissioners, appointed by the Mayor of Boston and subject to confirmation by the City Council, will oversee BWSC’s activities. The Board’s primary responsibility is to ensure the sound, economical and efficient maintenance of the water and sewer systems for the citizens of Boston. The Executive Director of BWSC convenes a Commissioners’ meeting once a month to report on the status of the BWSC. The Act also provides that Board members be appointed to serve four-year staggered terms and must maintain residency with the City.
Any Board member may be reappointed; any Board member may be removed by the Mayor for cause at any time subject to a public hearing procedure. At least one Board member must have extensive experience in finance and accounting. Board members are not compensated for their services, but are reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. If the Mayor does not fill a vacancy on the Board within 90 days (or in the case of an unexpired term, within 60 days), the Act provides that such vacancy may be filled by majority vote of the City Council.
To read a biography of a Commissioner or the Executive Director, click on a name below.
Dennis A. DiMarzio, Chair
Dennis A. DiMarzio was appointed Chair of the Board in July 1994 to fill the remaining term of the prior Chair, and reappointed in January, 2000. He was reappointed by the Mayor for a second full term in January 2004. (Term expires January 1, 2012.) Mr. DiMarzio was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the city of Boston by Mayor Menino in April 1996.
Prior to his appointment Mr. DiMarzio was Vice President at Arkwright Mutual Insurance in Waltham where he served in a number of senior management positions in Real Estate Investments, Insurance Operations, Human Resources and Organizational Productivity and Efficiency. Within his community, Mr. DiMarzio is a Member of the Board of Directors of Hyde Park Main Streets, a Director of the Hyde Park Cooperative Bank and the Strategic Change Consortium.
Cathleen Douglas Stone, Commissioner
Cathleen Douglas Stone was appointed a member of the Board in August, 1994 and re-appointed in August of 1998 (term expires January 1, 2014).
Ms. Stone is presently Special Assistant to the Mayor for environmental affairs. In 1994, she was appointed the City's first Chief of Environmental Services and served in this position until 1997. As Chief of Environmental Services, Ms. Stone directed the Mayor's Environmental Cabinet.
Prior to her tenure as the Chief of Environmental Services, Ms. Stone was of counsel and a partner of the Boston Law firm Foley, Hoag & Eliot where her practice encompassed environmental and administrative law issues.
Muhammad Ali-Salaam, Commissioner
Muhammad Ali-Salaam was appointed a member of the Board in April 1997 and was reappointed in January 1, 2011. (Term expires January 1, 2014.)
Mr. Ali-Salaam is currently the Deputy Director for Special Projects for the Boston Redevelopment Authority - Economic Development and Industrial Corporation. In his career with the Authority, Mr. Ali-Salaam has served with a team of senior planners to develop new zoning policies for neighborhoods in the City, caused the redevelopment of a significant City asset offering an affordable, comprehensive continuum of care for elderly residents desiring to reside in an assisted living facility, managed several community planning processes leading to the approval of several neighborhood plans and redevelopment projects, and is a liaison between the Authority and several federal, state, and local agencies.
Mr. Ali-Salaam received his undergraduate degree from the Catholic University of America and his Masters of Business Administration from Syracuse University. Mr. Ali-Salaam is currently a member of BRIDGES-Massachusetts, the US Department of Justice-Community Relations Service Speakers Bureau, a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Boston Elder Services, Inc., and guest lecturer for the Boston Police Department In-Service-Training Program.
Vincent G. Mannering, Executive Director
Vincent G. Mannering was appointed Executive Director of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission in January 1995. Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Mannering served as State Representative in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the West Roxbury and Roslindale sections of the City of Boston. During his tenure as State Representative, Mr. Mannering served on various committees including the House Post-Audit and Oversight Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Ethics Committee, as well as serving as a committee member on the Speaker of the House's Select Committee on Campaign Finance.
From 1985 to 1995, Mr. Mannering was in the private practice of law specializing in general practice. Mr. Mannering has an extensive background in litigation from the private practice and from the eight years he served as Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County. During his tenure as Assistant District Attorney, he held several positions including Assistant Chief District Court Prosecutor and the Deputy Director of the Organized Crime Division of the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Mr. Mannering received his undergraduate degree from Boston State College, Boston, Massachusetts, and holds a law degree from Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts. He is also a member of the Government Finance Officers Association, Massachusetts Municipal Association, American Water Works Association, and the New England Water Works Association. Mr. Mannering is a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and also a former member of the Board of Directors of the Roche Family Community Center, and the Parkway Little League, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.