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."