The Water/Sewer Advisory Board on Wednesday reviewed local options for meeting Hopkinton’s water demand without connecting to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority system, saying it potentially could be hundreds of thousands of dollars cheaper.

Chair Paul Gallagher said a discussion about alternative solutions began after after an email exchange with Assistant Town Manager Lance DelPriore about the cost of buying water from Ashland.

“Today I think that water is expensive,” said Gallagher. “If you look at water rates, the economic optimum is to use less of that water and more water from our own wells.”

He noted that connecting to the MWRA “will completely change” that equation to “a multiple of the cost of Ashland water.”

PFAS lead to MWRA consideration

For the past few years, the town has discussed potentially connecting to the MWRA system. In 2022, Annual Town Meeting approved funding a plan to connect to the MWRA via a partnership with Southborough at an estimated cost of $25 million.

The need to do this seemed critical then, as higher than allowable concentrations of a group of chemicals known as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) were found in Well 6 off Fruit Street. These “forever chemicals” are used in nonstick cookware, outdoor gear and food packaging, among other products. PFAS have also been used in firefighting foam, which concerned Hopkinton residents because of the previous firefighting training conducted in the immediate area.

Construction of a PFAS filtration system began in October 2023 and was approved by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in June 2024.

Connecting to the MWRA would cost about $30 million, according to Gallagher. Then water consumption needs to be factored into the equation, as well as operating costs.

Water demand affects options

When the MWRA connection idea first was pursued, the estimated future water demand initially was 2.7 million gallons per day, according to a presentation the Water/Sewer Advisory Board (WSAB) gave to the Select Board in March.

DelPriore said that presentation prompted Town Manager Elaine Lazarus to reach out to John Gelcich, the acting director of Land Use, Planning and Permitting, to “take a closer look at those estimates.” DelPriore called it “an important first step.”

Resident Ken Weismantel said he believes the figure of 2.7 million gallons assumed that 100% of people with private wells would connect to the MWRA. Secondly, the schools do not use the same amount of water in the summer as they do throughout the rest of the year. Thirdly, there is no room for another large development like Legacy Farms in town. This led him to estimate that “2 million gallons a day max” would be needed.

Gallagher concurred. His estimate was 1.96 million gallons a day.

Weismantel, who serves on the state Water Resources Commission, said this number would be more palatable to the WRC than 2.7 million gallons. The WRC must approve the proposed MWRA connection plan before it proceeds to the MWRA for review.

Because of the lower projected water demand, Gallagher said a cheaper option may be to continue to buy Ashland water while improving the town wells’ infrastructure. A treatment plant in Hopkinton could be a local, less expensive alternative to the MWRA connection.

Weismantel said a treatment plant that recently was built in Littleton could process 1.8 million gallons a day. It is a state-of-the-art facility that removes iron, manganese and PFAS. It cost $20 million when it was finished last September.

Water supply an issue

WSAB member Don Sutherland asked Department of Public Works Director Kerry Reed if the town is experiencing a groundwater recharge issue that could stress the town’s wells.

“I am under the same impression that the wells haven’t been producing as much as they were anticipated to,” said Reed.

The increased water demand, combined with the current drought, are taxing the wells, she added. This is true particularly at Well 6 and the Aprilla wells. Also, the Fruit Street wells “are not producing what was originally anticipated.”

Added Reed: “The overall goal is water conservation, whether we’re in a drought or not.”

She also urged people not to water their lawns and to utilize rain barrels along with other sustainable measures.

Gallagher suggested building either a 2.4 MGD or a 1.7 MGD treatment plant. The rest of the town’s water needs could be subsidized either through an MWRA connection or by purchasing water from Ashland.

He estimated the cost of a treatment plant at $30 million. Operating costs could average about $2,000 per million gallons of water.

Added Gallagher: “I think it’s a no-brainer that we need to take a closer look.”