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Council discusses lead-service letters, sewer capacity, and resident communications
Summary
Town staff told the council that a state-mandated letter about possible lead service lines prompted many resident calls; the manager said the town will send additional communications, inspect flagged properties and try to coordinate replacements with planned road work. Staff also updated council on sewer-plant capacity and planned upgrades.
Westerly officials spent part of their meeting briefing the council on water and sewer system issues after state-mandated letters about lead service lines prompted resident concern.
Town staff said the Department of Health-required mailing flagged about 1,300 properties that may have lead service lines; the generic letter caused alarm among residents and generated several hundred calls to the water department. The town manager said the letter was mandated and that the town will send additional, clearer communications and use scripted phone responses; staff also will schedule inspections to confirm whether a property retains a lead service and then prioritize replacements as funding becomes available.
On sewer capacity, staff said design upgrades to the wastewater plant are intended to add capacity sufficient to serve roughly 1,400'1,600 additional units over a 20-year planning horizon, but that the town must evaluate proposed projects on a case-by-case basis. Staff noted there are about 333 properties with sewer lines nearby that are not tied in; those remain available to be connected in future years.
Councilors urged clearer resident messaging to reduce confusion and requested a follow-up notice to help ease calls to the water department. Staff said they would post website updates and use blast communications and confirm timelines as funding is secured.
What happens next: The water department will continue inspections, maintain a schedule for replacements as funding allows, and the town will coordinate communications to residents and developers about timelines and tie-in approvals.
