Residents press for water system fixes and smart meters after taste, pipe concerns

Several residents raised concerns about water quality and distribution infrastructure during the hearing. "The water is bad, the past 7 years my dog doesn’t even drink the water," resident Frances Mock said, adding past advice that the pipes were old and rusty. Manager Suzanne Harvey responded that the town conducts required testing and ‘‘our water is absolutely good’’ for safety, but she agreed that an evaluation of the system would be appropriate.

Councilmember Cynthia Butterworth proposed replacing meters with smart meters that read by the hundreds of gallons to let residents monitor usage more precisely and potentially lower bills. SEAGO staff suggested that an engineering assessment funded by SSP could identify failing mains, determine replacement needs and improve the town’s competitiveness for implementation funding.