Select Board drops bid for full MWRA connection

Select Board · Meeting of June 30, 2026

WALPOLE — The Walpole Select Board voted to withdraw the town's bid for a full MWRA water connection, pivoting instead toward a cheaper emergency-only backup. The 5-0 vote came after consultant Leah of Weston & Sampson told the board the roughly $11 million full connection would never lower rates, since MWRA water costs "about twice as expensive" as local sources, and state regulators said Walpole hadn't demonstrated need through 2033. DPW Director Matson backed an emergency connection, citing a vulnerable transmission line at the town's treatment plants, while Select Board member Benjamin Barrett objected to deciding "tonight," noting the $5 million cost competes with other capital needs.

The board separately awarded five contracts totaling roughly $770,000, including $337,000 to Ricciardi Bros. for sewer pump station work, and voted to sign a three-year extension moving Walpole Media Corporation toward becoming a town department. Water and sewer rate cuts approved by the Sewer and Water Commission have also opened a projected $216,000 combined revenue deficit for FY27.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,864 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of June 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.