Westport committee holds water rate steady for FY27 amid pending study and recent settlement

The Westport Infrastructure Oversight Committee voted unanimously on April 29 to keep the town’s water rate at $8.30 per 100 cubic feet (CCF) for fiscal year 2027 and to revisit rates after a formal rate study.

The town administrator’s written recommendation — read to the committee — proposed a modest 5% increase to about $8.70/CCF to begin addressing capital and long‑term costs, and requested a $15,000 warrant article to fund a formal rate study. The administrator’s review noted adjusted system usage of about 29,421 CCF (April‑to‑March) and roughly 4,500 CCF of unbilled system losses.

Committee members responded that the system is operating near break‑even under current conditions and that a 15% increase the prior year argued for a pause. One member who has led prior rate studies urged holding steady for a year and using the planned formal study to guide future decisions. “I think we should hold the rate steady this year at $8.30,” a member said, noting the risk of back‑to‑back rate increases.

The committee also discussed recent financial impacts: a negotiated settlement related to blow‑off water previously pursued by the Fall River city council required Westport to pay a mediated amount of about $293,000; the town used $150,000 in ARPA funds with the remainder coming from the water enterprise fund, which reduced reserves.

The vote to hold rates passed on a unanimous voice vote (5–0). The committee directed staff to proceed with the formal rate study and scheduled the rate decision for presentation to the Select Board on June 1.

Separately, members raised urgent constituent reports of unsafe household water on streets at the end of the existing waterline (South Breault/South Burl). Select Board member Jake McWiggin said residents told him their tests showed water “do not drink” levels; staff agreed to inspect the affected properties and report back at the next meeting. Committee members discussed whether Keating‑2 funds or add‑alternate bid items could be prioritized to reach small clusters of homes with poor wells.

Why it matters: The committee’s decision keeps short‑term costs stable for customers while directing a formal study to identify longer‑term capital and rate needs; residents with documented unsafe wells may be eligible for earlier service extensions if project budgets and add alternates allow.

What’s next: Staff will complete the rate study warrant article preparation and return results to the committee next year; staff will also perform a site assessment of the households that reported unsafe water and report back at the following meeting.