Wayland capital committee plans tougher scrutiny of MWRA hookup, school septic project

WAYLAND — October 30, 2025 — Wayland's Capital Improvement Planning Committee sharpens scrutiny of $38.5 million MWRA hookup and high school septic work. Chair Kelly Lappin and Vice-Chair Bradford Carver told the committee Thursday that the town's existing capital request form omits operating costs, personnel impact, spend schedules and project status, making it impossible to judge whether the $38.5 million MWRA water connection — up from an original $14 million-to-$22 million estimate — or a $4.5 million fiscal 2027 DPW request bundling a high school leaching field with baseball-field reconstruction are properly scoped. Carver pegged annual debt service on a fully tax-funded MWRA borrowing at roughly $1.8 million, capacity he said could squeeze a future elementary school. "I don't think it's responsible from a taxpayer standpoint to be adding more projects to the mix if they're not going to get done," Lappin said. The committee approved Oct. 15 minutes and will question DPW Director Tom Holder on Nov. 5.