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Town warns water‑filter capacity could constrain new hookups; council cites 351,000‑gallon daily average
Summary
Council water‑committee chair shared plant data showing average pumping at 351,000 gallons/day and noted the plant’s filter capacity (about 500,000 gallons/day) is the limiting factor; approval of a 200‑home hookup and first‑come, first‑serve PSC rules could limit new development if capacity is reached.
The Bath Town Council received a detailed update on the town water system Feb. 17 that officials said shows the plant is approaching its practical filtering limit.
"Our average daily pumping was 351,000 gallons with the plant running 18 hours a day," Water Committee Chair Mary Lynn Hickey said, adding that the town must protect filter capacity even if raw-source supply is available. Hickey told council the town has roughly a 500,000‑gallon‑per‑day filter limit and that the plant’s ability to pump is a separate technical constraint the town is exploring with a hydrology study.
Hickey and others warned that approved new hookups — notably a recently approved 200‑home application from a developer identified as DRV Homes — could push the town toward its capacity limit in summer months when demand typically rises. "We can infinitely pump, but filter is another number," Hickey said, framing the filter as the binding constraint on what the utility can treat and deliver.
Councilors discussed legal and procedural limits on denying service. A council speaker summarized the town’s obligations under the Public Service Commission: service in the utility’s service area is generally provided on a first‑come, first‑served basis, and refusing service where capacity exists could invite a PSC complaint. Council members said they are coordinating with county partners and seeking grants and loans (including an application through Region 9) to shore up capacity without placing the debt burden on current ratepayers.
Officials said a hydrology study has been contracted to test whether the system can move larger volumes through existing piping and pumping stations; if that study shows limits, the council stated a larger plant or other measures could still require five years or more to implement. Councilors committed to continuing real‑time reporting to the public on consumption, capacity, and steps being pursued with county and state partners.
Next procedural steps: the council said it will monitor the hydrology study, continue communications with the county and state, and report back as investigations and grant applications progress.
