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Concord outlines $46M Nagog treatment plan, PFAS upgrades and wastewater capacity options
Summary
Town staff presented a multi‑year enterprise capital plan that adds PFAS treatment at the Nagog intake, water‑main and well upgrades, and options to address wastewater capacity—staff said user fees would fund borrowing and projected a ~12.5% rate increase for several years.
Concord staff presented detailed FY26 enterprise capital plans at the Public Works Commission meeting, focusing on water and wastewater projects driven by newly promulgated PFAS limits and aging wastewater equipment.
Jeff Morozki, water and sewer superintendent, described planned PFAS treatment work at the Nagog intake and treatment facility. He said the town expects to budget a design services fee of about $250,000 in FY26 and to enter a roughly 30‑month construction period. Construction-phase estimates presented rolled to a ~ $46 million total for the 30‑month construction window. Morozki said related transmission work — about 2.5 miles of main to deliver treated water to northern customers — will add significant costs, with design services budgeted at roughly $650,000 and construction split across later years.
Morozki also described three other major water buckets: a ~2,500‑foot Silver Hill water main replacement (estimated construction $1.2 million with $200,000 reserved for lead service line replacement in FY26), and upgrades at two groundwater wells (Hugh Cargill and Second Division) with FY26 design and OPM (owner’s project manager) planning dollars near $1.9 million and multi‑year construction estimates thereafter.
On funding, staff said these enterprise investments are fee‑funded rather than from general tax dollars. Staff projected a user‑fee increase of about 12.5% annually for 3–4 years to cover the borrowing needs tied to the $50 million case described last year, with a later return toward historical 5% annual adjustments. “It’s going to be through user fees,” a staff presenter said while describing the rate‑setting and annual rate‑hearing process.
Wastewater challenges were presented as a second major risk. Staff said much of the town treatment‑plant equipment has reached the end of its useful life and that a roughly $10 million refurbishment may be needed between FY27 and FY30. To address near‑term capacity constraints the town flagged a possible partnership with the nearby MCI campus and its existing treatment infrastructure. Staff said the state Department of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) is a lead stakeholder; the town has a fast‑track window and expects to file a letter of interest by February. Staff described a task force pulled together from the select board and said the town manager’s office will coordinate the formal response.
Carlin Reid, speaking as a member of the finance committee, warned that town projections indicate operating expenses may exceed revenues in FY28 unless operating budgets change, and said that an operating override close in time to a large capital borrowing could make voter approval more difficult.
The commission directed staff to update the board on enterprise fund and MCI developments in the January meeting and to report back in February on the DCAM timetable.
What’s next: staff will refine pro‑forma projections with the finance director, present rate options at public hearings, and return with updates on Nabog/Nagog phasing and the MCI/DCAM timeline.
