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Study urges path to consolidate Chelmsford’s three water districts; local leaders call for more review
Summary
A consultant’s final report recommended a possible consolidated water district to address aging infrastructure, regulatory pressure and staffing inefficiencies; local water-district chairs urged more time to evaluate legal and financial implications.
William Keegan, senior project manager for Capital Strategic Solutions, presented a final assessment to the Chelmsford Select Board on May 18 that outlined options to consolidate the town’s three water districts and recommended a phased approach to create a single, consolidated district.
Keegan said the study identified shared staffing challenges, aging infrastructure and regulatory compliance pressures — including ongoing work to address PFAS and lead standards — and estimated that a feasible consolidation effort would take at least three years. He also suggested a nonbinding town-wide referendum as a way to gauge resident support and raise awareness.
East Chelmsford Water District Chair Ron Pare pushed back, saying the district “has got along on our own” in his 28 years of service and that town officials had not engaged the district with assistance offers. Superintendent Rob Conroy added that the district’s “boss is the DEP and EPA” and noted the district’s ongoing work to comply with regulatory mandates, including a PFAS removal timetable toward 2031. Richard Romano, chair of the Center Water District, cautioned that a consolidation process could take “at least a decade or more” given legal, financial and governance complexities.
Town Manager Paul Cohen framed the study as a public-safety and service-efficiency issue, citing past events such as a hydrant failure on Rainbow Avenue and saying the goal is to ensure reliable fire protection and safe drinking water. Chair Patricia Wojtas urged additional time for the districts and the Select Board to evaluate the report and requested a follow-up meeting among all parties to discuss next steps.
What happens next: Keegan will research additional out-of-state consolidation examples and the Board signaled it will schedule further meetings after the districts complete their internal reviews. No formal decision to pursue consolidation was made at the May 18 meeting.
