Brockton: Money flows like water as treatment plant sees red

Business is literally slowing to a trickle for the company being paid nearly $6 million per year to make sure Brockton has enough water.

Documents filed with the state Department of Public Utilities indicate the Aquaria plant in Dighton lost $1.6 million in 2011, with the 2012 report due in March.

Though the nearly-idle desalinization facility posted a net operating profit of $500,000, taxes and loan payments have put it deep in the red.

Brockton hasn’t drawn water from the backup plant in two years, but it has to keep making payments because it’s in the middle of a 20-year contract it signed as an alternative to joining the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

City lawyers are said to be looking into whether there may be a way out of the contract, which requires Aquaria to look for new customers, though the company hasn’t found any.

Brockton: Money flows like water as treatment plant sees red [ 0:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (8)