The Water & Sewer Advisory Board at its meeting Wednesday evening heard a proposal from a resident water expert suggesting he might be able to increase Hopkinton’s in-basin water supply.

Ken Weismantel has served as a public member of the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission (WRC) for a decade. A vocal critic of the MWRA connection plan, he shared an idea that he believes could increase the town’s water supply, particularly during the summer months when usage is high.

“This year, I got interested in hurricanes,” he said, noting they are a monthly topic of discussion at WRC meetings.

His interactions there led to his being granted access to a monthly webinar hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The parent organization of the National Weather Service, NOAA conducts research and provides weather, water and climate forecasts and warnings.

Weismantel learned two pieces of data that sparked his idea for a policy change for the timing of the drawdown of the Hopkinton Reservoir. Currently, this occurs on June 1, when hurricane season starts. This brings the water to “a hurricane-safe level,” he said. Instead, Weismantel proposed waiting until Aug. 1 to prevent water from being “wasted.”

Weismantel explained his rationale for the change. The spillway, which is used to safety release excess water from the reservoir, cannot handle the volume of water a hurricane would generate. But according to his research, there has not been a hurricane in Massachusetts in the month of June “in recorded history.” Also, there has been only one tropical storm in July.

By waiting until August for the drawdown, the reservoir could capture more rain in June and July, he said. This would help the town meet the higher water demand.

A 1-foot drop in the reservoir’s water level equals about 59 million gallons of water, according to a state dam safety expert Weismantel recently consulted.

Another idea Weismantel proposed was seeing if the spillway could be enlarged.

Stressed Weismantel: “It might be cheaper than a lot of the stuff we’re doing.”

He called his proposal a “rough concept” that could lead to a “roadmap” for getting the town to an “all in-basin” system.

“If a storm is truly coming here, [the reservoir] is going to get refilled,” noted Weismantel. “And that’s a great thing.”

Members agreed that the ideas Weismantel presented were interesting. They suggested reaching out to state Senate president Karen Spilka and state Rep. James Arena-DeRosa for their feedback.

PFAS forum reviewed

Chair Paul Gallagher recounted his observations from the town’s PFAS forum held Sept. 16. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS have been a concern in town for several years. The issue prompted the installation of a water filtration system last year at Well 6, the town’s most used well.

“People in Hopkinton don’t need to be stressed about PFAS in drinking water if they’re on the public water supply,” he stressed. “The source that was contaminated above the current regulatory level is being treated. All of the other sources are below the current regulatory limit.”

He added that the Select Board made having safe and reliable drinking water one of its annual goals, along with setting water and sewer rates.

When the new federal PFAS limit goes into effect in six years, Wells 7 and 8 may be above that metric. But by that time, Gallagher said they may not be in operation.

Weismantel said he has been working with the Board of Health to adopt a policy that would require all new private wells to be tested for PFAS. Also, he suggested that wells be tested for PFAS upon the sale of a home.

“I think the town does not want to find PFAS data,” he said. “That seems to be the policy of town government.”

Gallagher noted that WSAB’s charge is to advise the town about the public water system, not private well testing.

“I don’t think we’d have an opinion on whether [private well] testing should be mandatory,” he said. “We just in general think it would be nice to have more data.”

Town’s drought status lowered

Gallagher noted that the state on Oct. 10 downgraded the region’s drought status to mild.

Hopkinton has experienced drought conditions for much of the year. During the winter months, frost prevented water from soaking into the ground, inhibiting the recharge of groundwater levels. The snow, which tended to be light and fluffy, did not contain much moisture.

Lack of significant rain during the spring and summer months prompted Department of Public Works Director Kerry Reed on April 1 to enact mandatory water use restrictions. These prohibited non-essential uses such as lawn watering, vehicle washing and pool filling.

“That was before the last two decent rains,” Gallagher noted, “so we’re probably in pretty decent shape at the moment.”

He added that Reed had shared an email with him noting that, at that point, Ashland was “about a week away from needing to stop production.” The Howe Street Water Plant, located at the Hopkinton line, was only a foot above the shutdown level.

Conservation remains priority

On a related note, Gallagher shared that Reed applied for a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). The grant would allow the town to complete an American Water Works Association (AWWA) M36 water conservation audit. The audit’s goal is to detect unaccounted-for water (UAW) that has been treated for drinking but lost through leaks, water main breaks and faulty or uncalibrated meters.

Weismantel said the M36 water audit needs to be completed by the town annually, whether or not it receives state funding.

Gallagher added that Reed is working with Assistant Town Manager Lance DelPriore to put together a residential water conservation education proposal.

Weismantel responded that the town needs to get the UAW “under control” if it wants to connect to the MWRA system. The town’s UAW rate in 2024 was 18%, according to a document shared with attendees. The target rate is 10% or less.