[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6123451,"mediaKeyId","2689681-ebf277fd923fd2210a29378a4443c3bd","parentId",2689681,"title","Needham DPW updates committee on South Street water-main work, interceptor rehab and well repairs","audioSeconds",177,"startMs",638380,"endMs",816105,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2689681-ebf277fd923fd2210a29378a4443c3bd&start=638&end=816","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2689681-ebf277fd923fd2210a29378a4443c3bd/thumbnail_638380.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6123451/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Needham-DPW-updates-committee-on-South-Street-water-main-work-interceptor-rehab-and-well-repairs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123451-6cf86b2f73fd709ac37885fded47f1d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444017&Signature=EmOCk7~RA~z~o7IANpahYPf25RygQO~rWrV3tJ5PE6JvsR-pKXlQnayKoM5vfv7lvcD-19i7TRgs60Z4zIx6FYwDIph4siK4HfFikH2sEHGOTpSkXoGOm7FcVYWBeUtYB-8C~KPvprFNSD2yuDtiyf1wvMrf~zlZ~drSxFcog1MvMVx7P6GUc2~iR6Bm5ZNs7hSO1CWjNJnfCnrQu2hGE7Md2EaNrQxxA7~7Ip5Y1kkx0vYVuu20ajYYzuqWrt7LSRrUZ~~p-q3ffyEbrYN6YU1ZYYeEaRfXzYIYomdmpFWBoEuo6vXtY2EK0A8lmMmBuAW9GLN~XKZ6aVUv8FcoLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Needham, MA","date","2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Town of Needham’s Department of Public Works updated the Water and Sewer Rate Structure Committee on March 18 about several ongoing capital and operations items, including a return to work on South Street, completion of a major interceptor rehabilitation, lead-service renewals, and a pump recovery at a town well.

Superintendent Mike gave a construction update: the South Street water-main improvement project with K and K Construction is due to resume service work later in the month. “They’re gonna finish their second half of their work. Construction scheduled to resume on, Monday, the 20 fourth,” Mike said. He told the committee work this season will extend from the Moran Drive/Burr Road area up to Charles River Street and will include additional drainage components tied to NPDES compliance and stormwater infiltration.

On sewer work, Mike said the interceptor rehabilitation project is substantially complete with only punch‑list items remaining. He described a major December collapse of an 18‑inch pipe that required emergency excavation and around-the-clock bypass work before lining was completed.

On lead service renewals tied to federal Lead and Copper Rule requirements, staff said the town awarded the new contractor to GBC Construction as the low bidder and that the contract is in the process of being finalized. The town reported approximately 30–35 known lead services and additional unknown or galvanized services to be addressed; staff estimated the work would take around two years to complete.

Operations updates included a recovery and replacement of a submersible pump at a town well: staff described a pump that fractured and dropped to the bottom of the well and said crews recovered the 900‑pound unit and installed a replacement. The committee heard that the well depth is about 90 feet and that the replacement unit has been running without issue since early February.

Staff said unaccounted-for water currently measures roughly 15% of total consumption, down from 16.5% the prior year; work to reduce losses includes an annual leak-detection survey, meter replacements (solid-state sonar “Markpad” meters), CCTV inspections before paving and routine manhole and catch-basin repairs.

No procurement votes were recorded at the meeting; staff said contract award paperwork for service renewals is under way and that more details will be reported when the award is final.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Needham: Water and Sewer Rate Structure Committee 03/18/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent provided construction schedule for South Street water-main work, said interceptor rehabilitation is substantially complete after emergency repairs, reported on a failed submersible pump that was recovered and replaced, and noted a new contractor for lead/copper service renewals is being awarded.","taxTitle","Town of Needham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",54445,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6123456,"Needham committee weighs rate‑structure changes as irrigation bans threaten revenue",1170,1771265,2942020,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2689681-ebf277fd923fd2210a29378a4443c3bd&start=1771&end=2942","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2689681-ebf277fd923fd2210a29378a4443c3bd/thumbnail_1771265.jpg","/articles/6123456/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Needham-committee-weighs-ratestructure-changes-as-irrigation-bans-threaten-revenue","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123456-8eb130c7b32a6ec4f6fa125dee364b4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444017&Signature=Zf1hSjn97-5sUZJMeVeT4zQ74-nUiYN~MIdhfszTPTpf2j7xmCfMfsjpYgnscLV3rlvNVONPsRwuFb6HXwkTaNfZBtF6-Byk8wwedBnAM~h0ZNzaN58hnIxRIWzhH4LAq0CZRx4bQRPOXy8YA2BoyGhf6s2RaZ0zoMW51iyroyDFxhLf66fVdQWx5yCx1CyQ3npu8CNCF8HlZ0P9Egcxuks4xOmUH8KQLINAEVE2wClSCRBLWyabu3qV2uOR7uX1q-9qtA5MMEx-U4XQfOrtOtCwgJeRFWvZmmwf8g3qTIuoX5u2wNOqZDPMwMCimqmhkZXq2zHABeKDFnpHbYm~rA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town finance and public-works staff told the Water and Sewer Rate Structure Committee on March 18 that projected MWRA assessments and falling irrigation revenue tied to impending state watering restrictions will require changes to Needham’s water and sewer rates.

Dave, a town staff member who presented the financial outlook, said the town is working with a three‑year forecast and that expenses have run about 5.5% higher per year; he said the MWRA assessment is expected to increase and that the town’s 2026 outlook now assumes a 3.5% MWRA increase in the baseline forecast.

Dave summarized revenue targets and example flat-rate equivalents discussed in the meeting: staff said a flat water volumetric rate under one scenario would be $5.05 per hundred cubic feet and a flat sewer rate about $12.59 per hundred cubic feet; staff also estimated aggregate revenue targets for water and sewer in staff materials used at the meeting.

Committee members focused on options to stabilize revenue if irrigation billing falls because of the new watering restriction: raising the fixed (base) fee, shifting more revenue to a larger monthly base charge so that variable consumption changes have less year-to-year impact, or maintaining the existing inclining‑block (step) structure but adjusting step percentages. A staff presenter noted that Massachusetts regulation requires an inclining‑block element for water pricing.

One committee member argued for increasing the fixed charge to reduce volatility in annual revenue, saying a higher base could cover the core fixed costs while limiting year‑to‑year swings caused by changes in irrigation demand. Another member warned that raising a high fixed charge can disproportionately affect low‑use households and that any hardship mechanism would add administrative work.

Staff committed to preparing a limited set of concrete scenarios for the committee’s next meeting rather than the “30 iterations” they said they have run in the past. The committee asked staff to model at least a handful of options including (1) raising the base fee while holding volumetric steps flat, (2) converting more revenue to a larger monthly base that includes a defined volume, and (3) a variation that keeps step differentials but changes step rates to spread impacts.

Calendar and process: staff said the public hearing on rates is scheduled for June 10 and the Select Board is expected to consider adopting rates at its June 24 meeting, with any new rates proposed to take effect July 1.

No formal rate decisions were taken at the March 18 meeting; staff will return with modeled scenarios and updated revenue collections when more recent billing data are available.","Committee reviewed three‑year forecasts and MWRA assessment pressures and discussed options — raising base fees, flattening volumetric charges, or preserving inclining block steps — to offset likely irrigation revenue losses tied to state restrictions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6123461,"Needham prepares for state-ordered watering restrictions effective April 8 as town pursues legal challenge",2582,171959,2754090,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2689681-ebf277fd923fd2210a29378a4443c3bd&start=171&end=2754","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2689681-ebf277fd923fd2210a29378a4443c3bd/thumbnail_171959.jpg","/articles/6123461/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Needham-prepares-for-state-ordered-watering-restrictions-effective-April-8-as-town-pursues-legal-challenge","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123461-3d1a03df1b12af0ba45d344a8b94df6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444017&Signature=U4pBQ5OvciyjCvpEGa6vVy119Qj~f0ELhZIvPOQKdPCYmlqa5V1HKkTD4Fj6GPkhqRGomHmd-uiZFzb7b~QG6yYO0XBgDgZGizyrQmxKEm8uuOdEjmLYmJGYAAXyBC0HQWdyQGI8QYx5uLIhk4QBOhn9kAniRcNjLPPUk8NMxPgfo9EFxzO7fVr5jchxGYL24IAOeyDGJlJatSHBAFkP1O0JruGSSiclLpV8e-0pIkMhFoMLynE~5jXTf8-lea7Xg7iI751Kzg9zR0nNTTi3CD2ZXkCp1tpWq-Qj2iKIux3vBhiosMsPSZjA0YaV6APbjvyps1Fzksoqk9jmLTXs7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Needham must implement state-mandated watering restrictions beginning April 8 under the Water Management Act, a town staff member told the Water and Sewer Rate Structure Committee on March 18.

The restrictions come from the town’s registered water use and apply while the state’s drought designation remains at level 2; town staff said the town is contesting the regulations in court but must follow them while litigation proceeds.

Karis, a town staff member who presented the update, said, “we have a requirement through the Water Management Act on our registered water use that requires the town to implement a fairly strict water restriction, that needs to be made effective April 8.” She said the town is pursuing an appeal but that the case had not been resolved.

The committee heard that under a level 2 designation irrigation systems would be prohibited from operating at all and that hand watering would be allowed only during limited hours (described in the meeting as “after 5 and before 8”). If the drought designation rises to level 3 or 4, staff said, all watering including hand watering would be prohibited.

Staff outlined categories that can be exempted under the regulations: establishing new lawn (May and September windows), sites that established new grass in the last 12 months, pool filling, agricultural uses, recreation facilities and certain commercial car washes. Karis said staff is developing an exemptions process and will work with the Select Board on implementation and rescission rules if drought conditions change.

On enforcement, Karis told the committee: “We have decided internally that our enforcement mechanism is gonna be through education.” She said prior enforcement via fines had been time-consuming and less effective.

Committee members and staff discussed operational consequences: reduced irrigation billing will lower billed consumption in the higher rate steps that historically subsidized lower-use customers under the town’s tiered structure. Karis said the reduction in irrigation demand also would likely reduce the town’s purchases from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) in some months.

On the litigation, Karis said Needham joined more than 20 other communities and expected an appeal to be heard in early April; she warned a decision would likely not arrive before the April 8 implementation date. “We will not likely have a decision about that before the... we have to implement on April 8,” she said.

Committee members asked about anticipated compliance, the process for exemption requests, and whether volunteer car-washes (for example those held at Claxton Field) would be permitted under the exemptions; staff said they were still confirming whether past volunteer events met exemption criteria.

The committee was also told that the MWRA is effectively exempt from the restriction because it maintains multiple years of reservoir capacity, a circumstance staff said reduces the rule’s impact on regional supply but not on Needham’s registered use.

The committee did not take a formal vote on exemptions or enforcement methods during the meeting; staff said further implementation details and an exemptions application process would be developed for Select Board review.

Looking ahead, staff and committee members flagged the restriction’s budgetary implications: lower billed irrigation volumes will increase pressure to raise domestic rates or change rate design to meet revenue targets while maintaining equity across customer classes.","Town staff told the Water and Sewer Rate Structure Committee that a Water Management Act requirement will force a watering restriction beginning April 8; the town is contesting the rule in court, will focus enforcement on education, and expects reduced irrigation revenue if the restriction remains.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Needham DPW updates committee on South Street water-main work, interceptor rehab and well repairs

Needham committee weighs rate‑structure changes as irrigation bans threaten revenue

Needham prepares for state-ordered watering restrictions effective April 8 as town pursues legal challenge