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Commission to review $34,000 privilege‑fee estimate for laundromat at 9 City Depot Road
Summary
Staff presented a Title 5‑based calculation that produced a $34,000 water connection privilege fee for a planned laundromat (12 machines at 400 gpd each); commissioners agreed to have engineer McLaren review historical usage and Title 5 assumptions before any fee is assessed.
The Charlton Water and Sewer Commission discussed whether to assess a water connection privilege fee of about $34,000 for a laundromat proposed at 9 City Depot Road after staff applied Massachusetts Title 5 flow values.
Using Title 5 guidance of 400 gallons per day per machine and the applicant’s plan for 12 machines, staff calculated a peak flow of 4,800 gallons per day and said that, under the commission’s current privilege‑fee schedule, the fee would be about $34,000. "Doing that calculation with our current privilege fee, it would be $34,000 for a privilege fee on this existing property," Vinnie told the commission.
Commissioners discussed alternatives before issuing any fee: because the property historically has been tied to the sewer system and the owner has historical metered usage, members asked to have McLaren (engineer Chris) review past usage and the Title 5 assumptions. They also discussed possible accommodation if the laundromat uses high‑efficiency machines that would substantially lower actual flow; one commissioner suggested an engineered flow calculation or a contractual limit on hours if the commission approved a reduced fee on that basis.
No fee was approved at the April 1 meeting. The commission directed staff to ask McLaren to prepare a professional review and to return with a recommendation; commissioners said they would vote on any dollar amount after the engineer’s analysis and after considering whether a betterment or payment plan could be attached to the property.
The commission also clarified interjurisdictional practice: Southbridge uses connection size to set its fee in some cases, while Charlton’s fee calculations have been Title 5‑based; Charlton also receives a share of Southbridge billing in places where Southbridge oversees the physical connection and billing.
