Board of Water Commissioners Meeting — October 7, 2026

The Swansea Board of Water Commissioners met on October 7, 2026, to review district operations, communications, and ongoing water system projects. The board approved open session minutes and held executive session minutes regarding security from the September 23, 2026 meeting. Communications included an invoice of $14,727 from Wright-Pierce for work on the comprehensive plan and Somerset interconnection, $3,000 to TextMyGov, and $21,183.44 to Clearway for August electricity.

Superintendent Jeff provided updates on the regional Somerset interconnection, noting that the district plans one final effort to obtain guidance from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) regarding the Environmental Notification Form before formally submitting it. The board also reviewed recent annual billing issues stemming from past estimated readings and discussed preparing for the transition to quarterly billing by July 1st of the following fiscal year. Additionally, staff announced the fall hydrant flushing program scheduled to begin October 13th and reviewed bids being prepared for well redevelopment on wells 5 and 9, as well as microfiltration module replacements for the backwash recovery rack.

Operational and personnel matters were also covered, including compliance actions for elevated THMs under the Disinfection Byproduct Rule, which included optimizing coagulation at the Vinnicum facility and shutting down the Hornbine plant for further investigation. Legal counsel confirmed that under Mass General Law Chapter 32B, the district cannot establish a tiered health insurance contribution split based on date of hire for non-union employees, leaving the 90/10 split unchanged. The board also approved the 2027 retiree health insurance proposal with MIIA, noting a 6.78% increase, before voting to adjourn into executive session to discuss real property.

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