Blackstone Water & Sewer Commission approves $314,978.57 water and $276,003.11 sewer commitments; hears operations update

The Town of Blackstone Water & Sewer Commission voted unanimously on Jan. 9 to accept a water commitment of $314,978.57 and a sewer commitment of $276,003.11 and also approved a $60 payment to the recording secretary.

The votes cover second-quarter charges for the commission’s billing cycle. Commissioners said the funds will allow payment of regional wastewater and routine operating expenses; the meeting then moved to operations and capital needs at the water and sewer plants.

Motion and vote details: Rob Patterson moved to accept the water commitment of $314,978.57; Jake Stanley seconded the motion. The commission voted 4–0 (Tom Devlin, Rob Patterson, Jake Stanley and Bruce Patterson voting yes; Jacob Saint Amat absent). Patterson also moved the sewer commitment of $276,003.11; Tom Devlin seconded. That motion passed 4–0. Tom Devlin moved to pay the recording secretary $60 for the Nov. 14, 2024 meeting; Jake Stanley seconded and the commission approved the payment unanimously.

Operations report: Jim, a Department of Public Works staff member, gave the meeting’s operations update. He said DPW staff has inspected roughly 50 properties as part of the lead service line inventory and that no lead service lines have been found to date. Jim said the department will send a second notification letter in January to property owners who did not respond to the initial request.

On wells and pumps, Jim reported that a motor replacement and related work on a well ran “around probably $15,000” and that quotes have been received for cleaning and redevelopment of Well 8; a purchase order has been requested and staff hope to have the well back online by the end of the month. He said a submersible pump pulled from the Montcalm Sewer Station was sent for repair and that a vendor reported replacement parts are no longer available for some 20‑year‑old pumps; the commission received a quote of $4,950 for a new pump.

Jim described recent work at the sewer plant: the main lift station was cleaned in December (vacuum/cleaning work cost about $8,000 and debris removal about $1,500, according to Jim). He also reported the commission received an estimated fiscal‑year flow invoice from the Woonsocket regional wastewater authority. Jim said the invoice for the most recent year was $298,644.50 and that the commission had encumbered $415,000 for flow bills in fiscal 2024, leaving a balance of $116,355.50.

Water treatment plant and permitting: Jim reported plumbing and electrical punch‑list work at the new water treatment plant was completed on Jan. 6 and a plumbing inspection occurred Jan. 8, 2025, which will allow a formal building inspection and closure of the building permit. He said start‑up of the plant is still anticipated in April, pending SCADA rollout and remaining startup work.

Capital needs and controls: Commissioners and staff discussed aging pump‑station controls and the long‑term need to replace obsolete Flygt controls at several stations. Jim suggested phasing control upgrades one station at a time over several years and the commission discussed preparing a capital request for town meeting. No capital appropriation was approved at the meeting; commissioners noted the capital process and town meeting schedule would determine the timeline for any work.

Other items: Jim reminded residents not to flush wipes or other inappropriate items because they cause debris problems at the plant. The commission noted the next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2025, and adjourned the Jan. 9 meeting.