Pepperell water board collects $300,000 in overdue bills

Board of Public Works · Meeting of May 21, 2026

Pepperell water board collects $300,000 in overdue bills, debates sewer growth authority. The Board of Public Works reported delinquent water and sewer accounts have dropped sharply after collecting roughly $300,000 in overdue payments, with several accounts still slated for shutoff next week. Staff said strong collections mean the town may avoid tapping reallocated retained earnings ahead of a rate hearing set for June 18.

Members debated whether to require new developments to connect to the sewer system, with one saying, "What I don't want is some board sitting here 10 years from now" facing a large septic project harming groundwater. The board also got an update on its roughly $4 million water treatment plant, where a signed contractor contract is due by June 30 to preserve funding, and on a new three-town water agreement with Groton and Dunstable tied to PFAS contamination found in Groton wells.

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Source: the Board of Public Works meeting of May 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.