Bristol schedules April 16 hearing on proposed water and sewer fee adjustments

The Bristol Select Board on March 19 scheduled a public hearing for April 16 to consider adjustments to water and sewer fees that town staff said are needed to reflect higher material and labor costs.

Mr. Chartier presented the preliminary proposal, saying the town would not raise base water or sewer rates but would change selected fees. "The largest increase was an eighty‑dollar ($80.00) increase for a three quarter (¾) inch water service connection, reflecting material cost increases," Chartier said, and he added that meter sizes were otherwise adjusted "to balance reduced material costs with increased labor costs." He also proposed a fifteen‑dollar ($15.00) increase to the sewer unit charge. Chartier told the board that Bristol "remains below the state average for water and sewer rates and continues to generate surplus revenue."

The board agreed to hold the public hearing on April 16, 2026, and members indicated any approved fee changes would be backdated to April 1, 2026. Town staff also said it will hold the required public hearing for Community Development Block Grant funding related to the ongoing Central Street Project on the same evening so residents can comment on both items.

Why it matters: changes to connection and unit fees affect homeowners and developers when new services are installed or meters are changed; even without a base rate increase, higher connection fees can raise short‑term project costs. The Select Board framed the proposal as a narrowly targeted response to higher supply and labor costs rather than a general rate increase.

What happens next: the public hearing on April 16 will allow residents to comment before the board votes. If approved, staff said billing changes would be applied retroactively to April 1, 2026, to align invoicing with the budget cycle and warrant authorizations.