Stalled progress on the Route 28 East water main project could result in a multi-million dollar price hike for Harwich taxpayers due to inflationary pressures and shifting material costs. Superintendent Jason Trapania informed the Board of Water/Wastewater Commissioners on Tuesday that the town remains waiting on a blessing from MassDOT to move forward with the bid package for Phase 2. The project, originally slated for 2023 or 2024, involves installing a new 12-inch main from Riverside Drive to South Street.

Chair Noreen Donoghue expressed alarm over the financial consequences of the state’s slow pace. This job was supposed to be bid almost a year and a half ago, Donoghue noted. If this had been bid back in '23 or '24, you can imagine the wonderful prices we would have gotten. Now, between the world as it is and the possibility of tariffs on materials, people bid higher. This is probably going to cost us millions in terms of the bid price change. Trapania added that state agencies currently seem to be at an impasse, noting that MassDOT and the DEP are not communicating effectively regarding funding for related dry sewer work.

The department is also bracing for a significant increase in the projected cost of a new garage facility. While the current capital plan holds a $1.5 million placeholder for the project, Donoghue suggested the town may need to adjust that figure closer to $5 million to accommodate actual construction needs and modern safety requirements, such as preventing oil leaks in the yard. Trapania has engaged an engineer with experience on similar municipal facilities and plans to present refined cost estimates to the board in July.

In more immediate news, the town is moving toward reopening the Exchange Park fountains, which have been dormant since 2019. Trapania proposed chlorinating the existing lines and conducting safety sampling to ensure the water is potable. Donoghue suggested the department should modernize the historical units by adding bottle-filling faucets for cyclists. The idea was to help bikers who come over with their cups and fill them, she said. We want to keep the historical nature but modernize it enough for use. The town recently spent $13,000 on four new hydration stations to be installed at other locations.

Public water conservation efforts are also shifting focus toward the business sector. Cindy Williams of the Chamber of Commerce suggested the Water Department coordinate with local restaurants to implement water upon request policies. If you send a letter to a business and ask them not to automatically serve water at tables, it makes a difference, Williams told the board. Use your business community because they contact a lot more people than we do.

Financially, the department remains on solid footing as the fiscal year draws to a close. Administration and Finance Manager Sandy reported that the Water Department has collected 104% of its projected revenue and has spent approximately 89.2% of its operating budget. Wastewater funds are similarly stable, though a significant portion is currently earmarked for an annual reconciliation payment to the Town of Chatham for sewage treatment. Trapania indicated he is negotiating a move toward quarterly billing with Chatham to avoid large year-end lump sums.

Accountability for seasonal residents was a central theme during a request for a billing abatement following a major pipe burst in January. A property owner sought a credit because the town did not warn him of the high usage, but the board was unmoved, noting the owner failed to properly winterize the home. Anybody that owns property has to manage it, Donoghue said. We don't do property management; our responsibility ends at the meter. Commissioner Alan Thompson agreed, stating, When you're leaving town, you winterize your house. If you're not going to be here for six months, take the meter out. Motion Made by A. Thompson to deny the abatement request. Motion Passed 5-0.

The board is also looking to overhaul the performance evaluation process for the Superintendent, which Donoghue described as currently cumbersome. She specifically criticized a town-wide form that mathematically only adds up to 85%. I don't want a form where you start them off lower because 'nobody is perfect.' It should add up to 100, she remarked. Sandy presented an alternative evaluation form created via AI based on Trapania’s actual job description. The board will refine the document next month. The Commissioners next meet on July 15, 2025.