Pepperell Board of Public Works approves 3.5 percent water rate increase for fiscal 2027

Board of Public Works · Meeting of June 18, 2026

Pepperell Board of Public Works approves 3.5 percent water rate hike while holding sewer and stormwater flat. The board voted unanimously Thursday to raise water user rates 3.5 percent for fiscal year 2027, effective July 1, 2026, at the close of a formal utility rate hearing held under MGL Chapter 83, Section 16 and advertised in the Lowell Sun. The DPW director presented a worst-case five-year financial model showing the water division faces a cumulative shortfall of roughly $3 million through fiscal 2031, driven by debt service on a new water treatment plant financed in part by a $13 million zero-interest State Revolving Fund loan.

"My gut tells me three and a half is the right number for this year," the director said, though he acknowledged he would personally have proposed 6 percent to begin closing the gap faster. A prior 25 percent single-year rate spike was cited as the cautionary scenario the board is trying to avoid. Sewer rates were held at a FY27 budget of $3,230,947, a 0.13 percent budget increase with no rate change, and stormwater rates were also unchanged at a $288,000 budget, as both funds were reported to be at or above their retained-earnings targets.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,472 words

Source: the Board of Public Works meeting of June 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.