Woodstock residents press town on water contract, hydrant flushing and in‑house operator options

At the Board of Selectmen meeting, resident John McKay raised a series of operational concerns about the town's recent water-operations contract and the condition of hydrants and gate valves in Woodstock.

The discussion centered on a clause in the contract with the outside operator (referred to in the meeting as “Wade in the Water”) that requires “distribution system flushing annually.” McKay said the contract does not define how long crews must flush or what constitutes “clean” water after flushing, and he asked the board to require a measurable flushing standard. “I found 2 of them that were leaking because they were not shut off all the way,” McKay said, describing past problems with hydrants that froze, gate valves full of dirt and parts of the system that could not be flushed at the line end because the line is not looped.

Board members and staff acknowledged prior operational failures and described several recurring causes: sand washing downhill into valve boxes after heavy rains, buried or mislocated gate valves, and an unlooped line that detained sediment at the system end. The chair said the town will ask the resident and public-works staff to meet with the contractor to produce a flushing protocol that specifies expectations. “I think it's a reasonable request,” the chair said, urging John McKay to work with Mike Dunn and the contractor to draft concrete flushing steps.

The meeting included debate over whether Woodstock should employ a full‑time, in‑town water operator instead of contracting operations. Proponents said an in‑house employee can monitor day‑to‑day work, run leak detection equipment and ensure valves and flushes are performed correctly. Opponents and some board members cited prior turnover and liability reasons for outsourcing: training an employee only to have them leave for higher pay can leave the town without licensed coverage. The chair noted the town previously decided to contract in part because contractors assume licensing, insurance and other liability responsibilities.

Town staff told the board that the neighboring town of Lincoln has three certified operators (grade 2 or above in distribution) and equipment such as an excavator that could have been used during past work; selectmen acknowledged Lincoln’s proximity as a potential operational benefit but said coordination was not completed before the contract was awarded. Board members also said the town’s highway department is certified to provide confined‑space entry assistance if needed and that the contract includes language that the town will provide confined‑space entry when required.

Board members agreed to set a follow-up meeting among John McKay, public-works staff (Mike Dunn) and the contractor representative (referred to in the meeting as Courtney) to draft flushing requirements and to identify inspection checkpoints during main and service-line installations. No formal vote to change the contract was taken at the meeting.

Why it matters: The town’s flushing, valve maintenance and operator coverage affect everyday water reliability and emergency response. Residents pointed to prior black water incidents and a winter service disruption when the system lost pressure and crews could not operate certain valves.

Board members said they will revisit the contract at the next review cycle and will “take that feedback” when the contract comes up again, but no new contract amendment was adopted that night.

Next steps: staff were directed to schedule a meeting with the resident and the contractor to draft specific flushing standards and inspection checkpoints for the town to provide to the contractor.