Charlton water and sewer officials warn plant replacement could cost $12–16 million; rate study to follow
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Summary
A water and sewer consultant told the finance committee the town's wastewater plant has aged equipment and repeated patches; engineers are studying options (including sequential batch reactors) and a rate study will determine how much can be covered by rates, financing, or grants.
Vinny, the consultant for Charlton’s water and sewer department, told the finance committee that the town’s wastewater facility has been repeatedly patched and needs major replacement or reconfiguration. He cited aging RBCs (rotating biological contactors) with many units near or past their 20-year life expectancy and said a 2022 study recommended roughly 10 additional units to meet projected demand.
Vinny said engineers are evaluating sequential batch reactor (SBR) designs — concrete tanks that perform multiple treatment steps in a single vessel — as a lower-maintenance alternative that reduces chemical and equipment upkeep. Preliminary estimates in the discussion put a five-year capital improvement plan in the $12 million–$16 million range.
A rate study is underway to determine whether sewer rates and privilege (hookup) fees should increase, how much the enterprise can absorb through rate adjustments and borrowing, and what portion will require grants. Vinny said privilege fees have not been updated in more than 20 years and are likely too low relative to current costs.
Vinny also described an office restructure in the sewer enterprise (restoring separate executive assistant and superintendent roles), which increased salary lines but restored checks and balances in administration. He warned that DEP-mandated operator staffing is increasing (the current contract showed the need move from 2.5 to 3.5 operators), which will raise operating costs when the operations contract is rebid.
Committee members asked whether regulators could force a shutdown; Vinny said the typical sequence involves administrative consent orders that provide time to reach compliance while engineers deploy fixes, and he reported the plant has not reached a shutdown threshold but is operating close to capacity.
The committee asked staff to prioritize the rate-study results and modeling of financing options for future decisions on privilege fees and capital planning.