Falmouth outlines sewer betterment plan: estimated $17,379 per sewer-equivalent unit

Town water and wastewater staff on May 18 gave a detailed briefing on the proposed Great Pond Phase One sewer project, laying out proposed sewer-equivalent unit (SEU) assignments and a refreshed cost estimate.

Water Superintendent Sandy Walls told the Select Board the project area includes roughly 799 properties and that the current SEU allocation totals about 848.25, slightly higher than July 2025 estimates. After recent bids and other adjustments, the total project price is now estimated at about $49.65 million; a 25% SRF (State Revolving Fund) loan forgiveness component lowers the town’s effective obligation to just under $40 million.

Why it matters: under the town’s betterment policy, owners in the service area will pay the collection-system share of the cost through SEUs. Using the updated numbers, staff estimated the current assessment at approximately $17,379 per SEU. That can be paid up front or amortized over 30 years at 0% interest: a homeowner charged one SEU would pay about $579 per year if they elect the 30-year installment plan.

The presentation and board discussion covered important qualifiers and next steps. Walls said the SEU and assessment list will be finalized and mailed to property owners in a formal order of assessment, and the Select Board will only certify final assessments after the project is complete and the town has certified final costs. Staff emphasized that per statute, betterments can only decrease after the order is voted and the project cost is finalized — they cannot be raised above the certified final figure.

Staff also outlined additional costs that property owners will face beyond betterments: the physical connection from a building to the new sewer and any required septic abandonment. Financial assistance options were discussed, including low-interest loan programs (Cape Cod Aqua Fund) that can help homeowners with connection expenses. The town also summarized potential exemptions and limited deferral programs available to seniors who meet income and asset tests; those measures require town-meeting approval for broader use of full deferral programs.

Next steps: property owners in the service area were notified this week, and a property-owner information meeting is scheduled for May 20 at Lawrence School to walk through the assessment list, timeline, connection process and assistance options. Staff said construction completion is expected in late 2027 and that property owners would receive formal connection notices once the collection system and lift-station work are finished.

The board took no vote on the order of assessment at the May 18 meeting; members discussed timing, the grinder-pump procurement policy (which could change the allocation between town and owners), and the need for continued public outreach ahead of any formal assessment vote.