Rate Review Committee Recommends Water and Sewer Rate Increases; Maintains Same Stormwater Rate for Second Year

(Please note: on Feb. 24th, we updated our coverage to reflect that the committee voted to raise the sewer rate by 4 percent, not 5).

(Feb. 10, 2026) – The Rate Review Committee has voted to recommend a 3 percent increase on water rates and 4 percent on sewer rates for FY2027. Meanwhile, the committee is recommending the same stormwater drainage rates as this year. All three recommendations go before the Select Board, which will set rates at a March 17th public hearing.

Committee Members

Eight of the nine committee members met at Town Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 10^th. We were watching from Zoom and believe we saw three residents at the table, including the Select Board and Finance Committee chairs, 4 town employees and 1 SIU (Significant Industrial User) representative from a food manufacturer in town.

The industry member was appointed in October 2024, according to Select Board meeting minutes.

Rates

Water: For water, the committee voted to recommend a 3 percent rate increase for FY2027, with the use of $350,000 in retained earnings.

With this, the water bill for the typical single-family residential customer will rise from about $133 to $137 or $4 per year. In the past, the committee has recommended a 2 percent increase for water.

While they discussed a 5 percent increase, members went with 3 percent, noting they will review the decision next year, after the new Clearwell Storage Tank and Finished Pumping Station comes online. The town has faced limited water pumping capacity since bringing the PFAs treatment facility at Grove Pond online and this new installation will work to correct that.

Sewer: For sewer, the committee voted to recommend a 4 percent increase for FY2027 and to use $50,000 in retained earnings.

Stormwater: The committee voted to recommend keeping the stormwater drainage rate of $95 per year for all single-family residential properties, or $23.75 per quarter.

The Rate Review Committee discussed meeting one more time on Feb. 24^th to review its presentation; we will not cover this. We will write about the public hearing on March 17th.