Wayland Wastewater Commission Approves 9 Percent Rate Hike for FY27

Wastewater Management District Commission · Meeting of July 27, 2026

Wayland's Wastewater Management District Commission approved a roughly 9 percent rate increase for fiscal year 2027 at its July 27 meeting. Chair Michael Gitten and member Darrin Bock, the only two members present at the fully remote session, voted unanimously to set the new base rate at $9.56 per 100 cubic feet, with tier-one usage at $7.52 and tier-two at $22.58 — all per 100 cubic feet. No members of the public joined the rate hearing before it was closed.

Operations Manager Jared Cotton reported that in late June the plant lost power and its alarm-dialer failed to notify staff because the router was plugged into the wrong outlet on a battery-backup unit, leaving the facility effectively offline for roughly 24 hours and bringing it "moments away from a sanitary sewer overflow," according to Cotton; three truckloads were hauled for disposal with no overflow ultimately recorded. The commission is adding a daily test alarm, exploring a heartbeat monitoring system, and working with Daigle Electric on incoming-power monitoring. FY26 revenues finished just under $1.5 million, with user charges reaching $715,000 against a $690,000 target.

The next meeting is scheduled for September 14, 2026.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,491 words

Source: the Wastewater Management District Commission meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.