SHARON — For the first time in more than two decades, the Sharon Sewer & Water Commission (SSWC) has proposed hiking rates for both sewer and water users, citing several “major hits” to the system this past year.
If approved by the Board of Finance, residents who use the town services face a 23% increase beginning in 2027.
In an Oct. 13 meeting, the Selectmen voted to approve the increase, which will now be sent to the Board of Finance for review. About 300 homes near the town green are connected to Sharon’s sewer and water system and would be affected. Most homes rely on private wells and septic systems.
Sharon residents who are connected to the town’s sewer and water systems are likely to face a $200 annual increase. Homeowners who only utilize the sewer will see an increase of $20.88 quarterly.
Despite that increase, the SSWC says it charges one of the lowest prices for the service in the Northwest Corner.
SSWC Chairman Stephen Szalewicz said burst pipes last winter and other damage played a role in the hike. During a freeze in January, one of the largest water mains in town burst. The repairs cost the town nearly four times the cost of an average pipe repair, which is typically around $20,000-$25,000.
Sharon’s water woes continued when a state road work crew damaged another pipe several months later. Though the SSWC is appealing to the state to cover the $20,000 price tag, it is unsure whether the state will cover the cost.
In July, the 35-year-old water plant generator failed and is not repairable. The plant is now powered by a rented generator for $4,000 a month until a new one can be purchased, which the SSWC estimates will cost $60,000.
Additionally, routine maintenance on the plant’s lagoons, which the state requires to store water while the plant is back-washed for cleaning, cost even more than typical after the town was forced to find a new company.
According to Szalewicz, very few companies offer the service and Wind River Environmental, based in Massachusetts, quoted the SSWC $110,000 for it: five times the traditional cost.
In total, the broken pipes, generator and additional service charges cost Sharon an extra $240,000 in 2026, depleting the commission’s reserve funds.
While waiting for the new income from the rate increase, the SSWC also applied for a loan from NBT Bank to help cover the charges and pay for the generator and more scheduled maintenance on the plant.
“An increase in rates is prudent given what inflation has done over the past 20-some years,” said First Selectman Casey Flanagan. “[The SSWC] has to meet certain requirements imposed on them by the state and make sure things are working properly with 100-year-old pipes in the ground and a facility that’s 30-some years old.”
Flanagan acknowledged the strain on residents living on fixed incomes but said the SSWC needs sufficient reserves to address problems as they arise. The commission is considering raising rates further in the coming years, but believes the current increase is “at a good place.”
“It’s the reality. Things are more expensive than they were 20 years ago and they need to catch back up,” Flanagan said. “This is why you need to have reserves built up with aging infrastructure like they have. And why this rate increase is necessary, because they do need to build their cash position so that when another pipe breaks, they can fix it.”
