Kingston Water Board Hires Leak Detection Firm, Denies Winter Spigot Abatement

KINGSTON -- June 9, 2026, Kingston water commissioners reorganized, approved a leak detection contract, and denied a bill abatement request at their June 9 meeting. Barbara Lanson was unanimously reelected chair and Richard Loren Jr. as vice chair for 2026-27. The board voted unanimously to hire Prowler Underground Solutions LLC for $9,900 to conduct acoustic and correlation-based leak detection, drawing funds from an equipment lease line. Consulting engineer Kristen Burger flagged a potential permitting complication for the town's new well project: the required 400-foot Zone 1 radius extends into adjacent Article 97 state-protected land, and Mass DEP has signaled it may require a formal land transfer, potentially needing Massachusetts Legislative approval, before issuing new source approval. The board also voted unanimously to deny a water bill abatement request from a resident whose autistic daughter had unknowingly left an outdoor faucet running during a winter storm, with commissioners citing the newly adopted abatement policy and offering a payment plan in lieu of relief.