Whitman DPW Denies Water Bill Abatement, Warns of Sewer Capacity Crunch

WHITMAN -- July 8, 2026, Whitman DPW commission denies water billing abatement and warns sewer capacity may be nearing its contractual ceiling amid development pressure. The board voted unanimously at its July 8 meeting to deny an abatement request from the account tied to 78 Webster Street, where an estimated $1,000 in noncompliance fees had accumulated over four billing cycles after occupants failed to respond to a September 2024 notice about a stuck meter. Water and Sewer Superintendent Dave reported that the town averages roughly 324 million gallons of annual sewer flow against a contractual cap of 365 million gallons, with daily overages above one million gallons triggering penalties of $5,000 per day and overages above 1.5 million gallons triggering $10,000 per day. Dave said pending development projects alone, including 14 proposed townhouse units on Ride Hill and four more on Cherry Street, plus accessory dwelling units and commercial conversions, could add 18 million gallons or more to annual flow. The board also debated whether to fill all three open DPW positions or leave the water-and-sewer slot vacant due to a projected $900,000 general-fund deficit, with one commissioner warning, "By not filling it, we're saying we don't need it."