Sewer DEP Compliance
At a glance
- What: the Charlton Water and Sewer Commission is working to catch up on 11 quarters of DEP permit violations and respond to MassDEP enforcement.
- Where it stands: DEP enforcement follow-up continues; on October 7, 2026 the commission approved $20K in new consultant spending (a $5,000 traffic management plan and a $15,000 enforcement-response proposal).
- Next: hiring of an owner's rep (McClure/Chris) and a 5-year Veolia extension are still under discussion.
- Related: Sewer Rate Increase (the ~20% increase voted September 2), Water and Sewer Plant Operations Contract Selection, Griffin Road Waterline Extension.
Related workstreams
- A renewed sewer moratorium preserving capacity allocation (renewed through August 3, 2028; 100,000 gal/day).
- A possible 5-year extension to Veolia's contract-operations agreement.
- Hiring an owner's-representative/engineering consultant.
- Infrastructure work (I&I on City Depot Road, Route 20 sewer line cleaning, Griffin Road waterline extension).
Status and next steps
- Hiring of an owner's rep (McClure/Chris) and a 5-year Veolia extension are still under discussion.
- October 7, 2026: DEP enforcement follow-up continues with $20K in new consultant spending approved.
Discussion time
About 90 minutes across 3 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-07 - Water and Sewer Commission Meeting | 27 |
| 2026-09-02 - Water and Sewer Commission Meeting | 34 |
| 2026-08-05 - Water and Sewer Commission Meeting | 29 |
Log
2026-10-07 — 2026-10-07 - Water and Sewer Commission Meeting
Veolia's August operating report: E. coli/pH fixed, sludge hauling nearly caught up (incinerator outage set it back), loadings above design, and the CoMag system needing valve/actuator repair (on hold pending the operations-contract decision); phosphorus limit rises to 1.0 mg/L on November 1. Commission unanimously approved a $5,000 MassDOT traffic management plan and a $15,000 proposal from Chris McClure for the formal MassDEP enforcement-meeting response (O&M, IPP, collection mapping; a CWMP could cost much more, prior cost ~$600K). Route 20 sewer line cleaning/camera work still awaits a MassDOT access permit. New administrator Jennifer Cournoyer introduced.
2026-09-02 — 2026-09-02 - Water and Sewer Commission Meeting
Veolia's monthly operating report showed improving compliance but flagged I&I/manhole defects on City Depot Road and a ~$38K Route 20 sewer line cleaning proposal. Jennifer Cournoyer was appointed water/sewer administrative coordinator. Sewer moratorium renewed through August 3, 2028, preserving 100,000 gal/day capacity. Water bill abatement approved for 41 Lake View Drive (faulty meter). Commission discussed hiring an owner's rep (McClure/Chris) to catch up on 11 quarters of DEP permit violations. Discussed a possible 5-year Veolia contract-operations extension. Griffin Road waterline extension approved; superintendent candidates discussed.
2026-08-05 — 2026-08-05 - Water and Sewer Commission Meeting
Veolia flagged a serious contamination problem at the Route 20 pump station (~2 feet of nip bottles) traced to Amazon, the Mass Turnpike, and Treehouse Brewery; the commission directed a warning letter with the threat of camera investigation and cost recovery. UV disinfection is underperforming; DEP approved supplemental chlorination while Trojan Technologies evaluates an upgrade. A badly deteriorated ductile iron pipe section was found on Route 31, needing possible emergency relining. The board voted to waive Griffin Road water main extension tie-in fees (privately funded pipe) and approved a hiring recommendation for the admin position plus reclassifying the vacant foreman role to a water/sewer superintendent position. Vinnie reported an upcoming MassDEP fact-finding meeting on August 12, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. regarding non-compliance issues and staffing, with both Veolia and the town bringing attorneys.