Wayland boards back hybrid MWRA water plan with 15 percent purchase

WAYLAND -- December 2, 2024, Wayland eyes hybrid MWRA water supply with $35M capital cost. Board of Public Works Chair Mike Wegerbauer told the Select Board Monday that the board has settled on drawing roughly 85 percent of drinking water from a new granular activated carbon treatment plant at Happy Hollow and 15 percent from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, with peak summer purchases closer to 30 percent. Kleinfelder's Kirsten Ryan said the hybrid 15 percent option carries a 25-year cumulative cost of about $130 million, compared with $148 million for full MWRA conversion. Town Manager Michael McCall said he will seek an additional $1.33 million in design funding at the 2025 annual town meeting, with construction authorization going before town meeting in 2026. Chair Carol B. Martin warned that rates "will double" and demanded full modeling before any financing decision. The board also voted 4-0 to appoint Charles "Chip" Bent to the Cultural Council and set annual town meeting for April 7 at the high school field house.