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Residents urge fixes after Lowell water-billing errors and raise wastewater capacity concerns
Summary
Public commenters told the council that online payment failures led to improper cutoffs and highlighted wastewater system issues including infiltration and unaccounted-for water, pressing the city for data and alternatives to proposed outsourcing of plant revenue.
Several residents used the council’s public-comment period to press Lowell officials to fix online billing problems and to question long-term plans for the city’s wastewater system.
Richard Lynch, who identified himself as a Lowell resident, told the council he had reviewed wastewater and billing reports and said the city’s treatment plant can process about 600,000 gallons a day but currently handles roughly 190,000–200,000 gallons (about 32–36% of capacity). "One of the main reasons for the spikes in our intakes is due to what is called infiltration and inflow," Lynch said, explaining that rainwater and other matter are entering pipes and that plant operators have found large debris in tanks. He added the plant produces roughly $680,000 a year in revenue for the city and questioned a staff plan he said would borrow $5 million, take a $2 million grant to upgrade the system, then turn operations over to an outside party that would collect that revenue. "That doesn't make any sense to me," Lynch said.
Another commenter described multiple customers having paid online only to have service cut off, urging the council to investigate the city's billing system and to avoid penalizing residents for payment system errors.
Council members thanked Lynch for the data and asked staff to provide copies of the reports he referenced. Staff and council agreed to include review of water-billing procedures and wastewater operational options in an upcoming work session, and several council members asked for line-item backup on revenues and professional services that exceeded budgeted amounts.
Why it matters: Problems with billing software can cause immediate hardship for households and signal operational or oversight gaps in utility management. Lynch’s figures on plant capacity and unexplained water losses prompted calls for a technical review and for council direction before pursuing large loans or changes in operations.
The council did not adopt a final decision on outsourcing, financing or major plant upgrades during this meeting; members requested more documentation and suggested the topic be placed on a work session agenda for deeper review.
