Benjamin Franklin once said, “When the well runs dry, you know the worth of water.” The residents of Cohasset, Mass., couldn’t agree more. The taps ran dry in part of this affluent South Shore Boston suburb of 7,000 people on Memorial Day weekend, 1994.“One whole section of town simply ran out of water,” says Glenn Pratt, former chairman of the Cohasset Board of Water Commissioners. “People turned on their faucets and there was nothing. It caused political upheaval, as you might imagine. This is New England, where we have open town meetings, and everyone has their say. A couple of
