Walpole water board votes 2-1 to raise rates
Other Committee · Meeting of January 27, 2026
Walpole's Sewer and Water Commission voted 2-1 to raise water and sewer rates for fiscal 2027 after a contentious public hearing over revenue projections. Chairman John Hassey and Town Administrator James Johnson presented a tiered schedule raising water rates from 3.75 percent to 8.75 percent and sewer rates from 4.98 percent to 10.42 percent, with one commissioner dissenting, saying "the difference is more than $300,000" between the town's revenue estimate and historical collections. The board also voted 3-0-0 to raise the commercial sewer billing factor from 90 percent to 100 percent of water use, cap fixed charges for single-family homes with oversized meters at $21.25 a quarter, and direct the town to draft a stormwater usage fee for properties off the water system within six months.
Superintendent Steven Nunnery reported the meter-replacement program, backed by a $1.7 million appropriation, is now 43 percent complete.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 970 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of January 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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