Weston officials say new wells and treatment will reduce manganese and PFAS; large rate hikes not expected
Loading...
Summary
Village officials told residents the "black" staining is from manganese and that two new wells and a filter are supplying PFAS‑free water; officials said loan forgiveness and current cash flow make a large immediate rate increase unlikely, though small increases may be possible in coming years.
Residents raised longstanding water quality concerns during the Bridal Avenue meeting, describing black staining in fixtures and saying some households avoid drinking the tap water. "We don't even drink our water because of that," one resident said.
An agency official explained the discoloration is caused by manganese in some wells and described steps already taken: two new wells built at Camp Phillips feed a treatment plant and a filter is online producing PFAS‑free water. The official said those two wells are currently turned off for winter but that the village’s PFAS treatment plant is operational and that a future treatment plant at the Bladel well site is planned to remove iron, manganese and PFAS for the Bridal area. "So it's PFAS free water coming through there," the official said.
On rates, officials said the utility’s cash flow appeared stable after recent investments and that the village had used a safe drinking water loan with some principal forgiveness to help fund treatment work. The official said a large immediate rate spike is unlikely but did not rule out modest increases over several years, offering an example range of perhaps 4–6% sometime in the next three to four years if needed.
Why it matters: water quality improvements reduce household costs from buying bottled water and cleaning stained fixtures, and the funding approach (loans with forgiveness and phased construction) will shape whether utility customers see short‑term rate increases.
Next steps: staff said additional pipeline work will be required to route treated water to Bridal Avenue and a future treatment plant installation at the Bladel well site will be pursued; residents seeking more detail were directed to follow up with village staff after the meeting.
