Wayland Board Votes to Seek Select Board Co-Sponsorship of $38.6 Million Water Project

WAYLAND -- November 18, 2025, Wayland Board of Public Works takes five unanimous votes, clears path for $38.6 million water project warrant article. The board voted 5-0 Tuesday to seek Select Board co-sponsorship of a Town Meeting warrant article for the $38.6 million MWRA water system connection, a project encompassing water main replacement, a new pump station, and Happy Hollow plant construction, with debt service not expected to begin until fiscal year 2030. DPW Director Tom Holder reported that MassDOT has committed in writing to fund and install more than $1 million worth of Sherman Bridge wood deck and rail materials, reducing the combined Wayland-Sudbury out-of-pocket cost to an estimated $50,000 per town, to be covered by Chapter 90 funds. The board also approved its FY27 capital plan 5-0 after stripping a $4.5 million high school wastewater and baseball field item from the DPW budget, with members arguing the cost belongs to the school department. Two additional 5-0 votes approved a $60,513 water lien letter and a certified notice to roughly 100 non-responsive smart-meter accounts. Warrant article drafting was assigned to Judy Ling and Michael Wegerbauer, with a January 6 special meeting set to finalize language ahead of the January 15 deadline.