Water Dept.*

A screenshot from the March 4 hearing showing water rates in Lincoln and other towns (click to enlarge).

Lincoln water rates are expected to rise by 10% in each of the next four years as the town embarks on a project to replace aging water mains. Voters will also be asked to approve an additional $6.79 million in capital spending in fiscal 2026.

This summer, the town will start a multi-year project to replace the water main that runs from the top of the hill on Bedford Road just south of Hilliard Road down to Five Corners and then under Lincoln Road to Route 117, although water flow rates south of Codman Road are currently acceptable, Water Superintendent Darin LaFalam said in the March 4 public hearing on water rates (video here; passcode is s+=p.5&u).

The existing cast-iron main under Lincoln Road dating from 1927 has significant mineral deposits inside it, with the result that water flow through the center of town is “greatly reduced,” and booster pumps had to be installed as part of the Lincoln School renovation project to achieve acceptable fire protection, he said. The new pipes will be made of cement-lined ductile iron, which will not accumulate deposits.

Most of the $6.79 million will have to come from bonding, assuming that two-thirds of residents approve at Town Meeting on March 29. The town recently learned it will get $430,000 for the project through a state Catalyst Communities grant for which Lincoln qualified by rezoning last year to comply with the Housing Choice Act. The town will apply for another grant in FY2026.

A year ago, voters approved $2.2 million in borrowing for the first pipe segment down to Five Corners, which is out to bid now. The original plan was to spread the work over four years, but the Water Department reconsidered and now hopes to do all the work in the summers of 2025 and 2026 (the least disruptive time of year since school is out and traffic is lighter overall).

“We were going to break down the project into what I guess at the time I found were emotionally tolerable bite-size pieces of $2.2 million, but we realized we would continue to interfere with the towns’ traffic right up Lincoln Road for four summers in a row,” LaFalam said.

The public hearing will conclude at the next Water Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 11 at 8:00am. Click here to join via Zoom.

While the annual rate increases will undoubtedly make many customers unhappy, LaFalam noted that other towns in the area have it even worse. Rates are also going up this year by 10% in Bedford and Maynard, 10.6% in Littleton, and 12.5% in Concord. Lincoln was required by the state DEP to raise rates by 3% last year, but rates did not go up in the three years before that.

A fairer comparison would be to towns that are the same size as Lincoln, since the larger the town, the greater the economy of scale, he said. By that measure, a Lincoln household water bill for using 70,000 gallons per year ($676 now vs. $744 proposed) is on the lower end of the list, whereas it’s $1,058 in Dover and a whopping $1,536 in Topsfield.

Water costs are rising everywhere due to “ever-tightening regulations,” especially with the recent issue of PFAS in drinking water, as well as “the challenge of unaddressed or deferred maintenance,” he said.

Almost 14% of Lincoln’s water distribution system is past its expected useful life; in 10 years that figure will be 36%, according to LaFalam. “We really need to get started,” he said. “It might be 10 years before can afford another water main project. If we do 2.5 miles every 10 years, we’re looking at over 200 years to replace all the water mains in town.”

Roads that were affected by the water line break are shown in red. The dotted red line is the Lincoln/Wayland town line (click image to enlarge).

Residents in dozens of homes in southwest Lincoln woke up to dry taps on Tuesday morning after a water line ruptured.

The Water Department received a call about water running down the side of Lincoln Road at about 5:30 a.m. on October 22, according to Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam. The town sent out text messages and calls to all Lincoln residents at about 7:15 a.m., and water service wasn’t restored until shortly before 4 p.m.

The break occurred along Concord Road south of Route 117 where one water main feeds that entire corner of town and affected about 200 water service connections. The water main itself — which is not near the top of the list for replacement in the coming years — was intact; it was a one-inch device connection that failed, LaFalam said.

He advised residents in the affected area whose water is rusty to flush until clear from an exterior faucet. If there is air in the plumbing, flush from only the cold water faucet located at the highest point of the home. 

The Lincoln Water Department will be performing water main flushing on Thursday, September 12 from noon–7 p.m. at the following locations:

• Lincoln Road, including Lincoln Woods
• Mackintosh Lane
• SPNEA Lane
• Meadowdam Road
• Woodbrook Road
• Ridge Road
• Todd Pond Road
• Short Hill Road
• Far Meadow Lane

Flushing improves water quality, but there can be short term rusty water conditions as a result of the flushing. If you experience rusty, discolored water, please avoid doing laundry or using hot water until it clears. Flush an outside faucet for about 10 minutes or until the water runs clear.

The Water Department and Water Commissioners will hold the second of two public hearings on proposed water rate increases on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

The department needs to raise rates for two reasons, Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam said. The last fiscal year saw greater than average rainfall, resulting in less demand for water (especially water used for irrigation) and therefore revenue that was about $200,000 less than expected.

In addition, the Department of Revenue requires that the town’s real estate tax bills cannot be processed until the Water Department budget is balanced and shows no possibility of a deficit. This directive has been in place for decades, but in prior years, the town was able to submit an analysis comparing several fiscal years showing water consumption and revenue collected to support the fact that varying weather patterns affect water consumption in any given year, and that on average, most fiscal year revenue remains somewhat consistent.

“This year, they are not accepting that analysis. We must prove where the additional revenue will come from, and the only way to do that is through a rate increase,” said Finance Director and Town Accountant Colleen Wilkins. “Since projected revenues for the FY2025 budget are based on prior year amounts, and those revenue amounts came in lower than anticipated, the FY2025 budget is now out of balance.” She added that this issue affects only the FY2025 budget, and that FY2024 results (revenues compared to expenditures) from water operations were positive.

Details of the budget shortfall and proposed rate increases will be revealed at the hearings (the first was on August 27). Click here for the Zoom link for the September 3 hearing.

A recent money-saving water main project in North Lincoln had its roots in history, but more water-related spending is on the horizon.

Minute Man National Historic Park has been getting some upgrades to prepare for next year’s 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolution. Improvements to Virginia Road are part of that effort, and park officials asked the Lincoln Water Department several months ago whether the area’s water main could withstand the heavy equipment performing the work. Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam continued the story in an email to the Lincoln Squirrel:

“That led to discussion of approximately 30 abandoned water service lines under the section of Virginia road from Hartwell Tavern west to the Bloody Angle intersection. These are service lines that went to homes that were removed for the national park. We let [park] employees know we have had to dig to repair a few of these service lines which were leaking over the past couple years. They did not like the idea of more digging into their improved Virginia road to repair future service line leaks.

“To protect their investment in Virginia Road, we agreed to abandon an approximately a quarter-mile long section of water main that only serves Hartwell Tavern and a park comfort station. This main abandonment does not create any dead ends in our distribution system and may improve water quality by reducing water age in that area of town… This will prevent many future shutdowns for the repair of leaking abandoned service lines,” LaFalam wrote.

The job required shutting off water service to some homes at the northern end of Bedford Road and Silver Birch Lane for several hours. Affected residents were notified with flyers in their mailboxes — but the flyers incorrectly said this would take place on August 13, not the 14th (though notices on LincolnTalk and the Lincoln Squirrel had the correct date). When the water shutoff actually happened on the 14th — and when it also affected more people and lasted longer than expected — there were some ruffled feathers.

The work was supposed to be finished by 2 p.m. on August 14, but “occasionally, when working on underground infrastructure, unforeseen circumstances arise. We were forced to close valves further from the job site than expected to isolate the work area, creating an interruption in water service on Mill Street as well. Our crew and contractor worked diligently, but we could not get the water turned on until 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.,” LaFalam wrote in an apologetic August 15 LincolnTalk post directed to northern Bedford Road and Mill Street customers who unexpectedly lost water service.

Water main replacement plan

The temporary inconvenience will save money for the town in the long run — but more big spending is ahead as several of Lincoln’s other water mains (some more than 100 years old) are slated for replacement. Tighe and Bond, an engineering firm hired by the Water Department, came up with a priority list after doing testing and analysis of the existing water mains (age, materials and condition in recently repaired portions).

Topping the list: a segment that starts under Bedford Road near the top of the hill about a quarter-mile from the five-way intersection and then down Lincoln Road to the Codman Road intersection.

“During a main break on Lincoln Road near Ballfield Road two years ago, we saw the 10-inch cast iron main is tuberculated with mineral deposits down to about a 5-inch inner diameter. This restricts water flow and reduces fire protection flow. Flow testing confirmed this restriction of flow the length of Lincoln Road to Codman Road,” LaFalam said. “We had a main break on Bedford Road near the Library approximately six years ago and saw similar conditions, as well as porous cast iron pipe with greatly reduced integrity. We will be replacing the existing 10-inch cast iron pipe with 12-inch cement lined ductile iron. This will help future proof water flow capacity to the Lincoln Station area for any future housing developments.”

The project is estimated to cost $8.6 million. “Yes, the number is staggering to me as well. With construction costs increasing rapidly, the longer work is put off, the more expensive it becomes,” LaFalam said. The work will be broken into two parts. At the 2024 Annual Town Meeting, residents authorized a bond issue for $2.2 million to pay for Phase 1 from the top of the hill on Bedford Road down to the five-way intersection. The project has not yet been put out to bid so scheduling is unclear, but the hope is to start in spring 2025, he added.

For Phase 2 from the five-way intersection to Codman Road, the Water Department plans to ask for another $6.4 million in bonding at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting. If it’s necessary to break that phase into two parts, “the railroad tracks could be a natural stopping point,” LaFalam said.

The town is looking for funding sources other than Lincoln taxpayers. Officials have made requests through the State Revolving Fund financial assistance program for the past two years, “but the project has not made the cut. Most federal and state funding is going towards PFAS treatment projects right now,” he said.

Contrary to what was stated by the Water Department last week (“Watering limited to one day a week as town works to repair leaks“), outdoor watering is permissible two days a week. Residents with even-numbered street addresses may water on Tuesdays and Saturdays; those with odd-numbered houses may do so on Wednesdays and Sundays. 

Lincoln is unusual in having both a Charles River Watershed registration and a Charles River Watershed permit from Mass. Department of Environmental Protection. Under the registration rules the town recently received, the town would be limited to watering one day a week as of May 1. 

“We are awaiting our new water permit as well. I thought the new registration represented conservation levels that were going to be implemented in our permit as well, Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam wrote in a LincolnTalk post. He contacted the DEP for clarification and was told that the permit supersedes the registration, so Lincoln should “go by our 2010 permit and ignore the new Registration conservation levels.”

Lincoln is required to implement outdoor water use restrictions from May 1 to September 30 because it has historically exceeded its three water permit withdrawal limits. In 2022, Lincoln did better — it complied with its 0.53 mgd (million gallons per day) withdrawal average and its maximum 10% proportion of unaccounted-for water (pending DEP review), but still exceeded the per-capita water use target of 65 gallons per day, LaFalam said.

One of the burbling leaks off Deerhaven Road shot about a month ago. Click here or on image to see a short video of the same leak shot earlier this week during a dry spell.

Editor’s note: This article has been superseded by updated information — see “Water Dept. clarifies: Outdoor watering is OK two days a week” (May 23, 3013).

As of May 1, Lincoln homeowners are allowed to do outdoor watering on only one day a week — mainly because the town does not comply with water usage guidelines due to ongoing leaks, among other reasons.

The Mass. Department of Environmental Protection adjusts summer watering rules every year depending on the drought condition, which is currently Stage 0 (no drought). Normally this would correspond with Stage 1 for Lincoln (no restrictions on watering), but the town is required to set its watering limit one level higher than the state’s because of its noncompliance — thus, Stage 2.

Last year, Stage 2 meant watering was restricted to two days a week, but MassDEP just released new rules reducing that to one day a week before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m., although watering ornamentals and flower gardens with drip irrigation, hand-held house or watering cans is permitted any time. The change is so new that the state and town websites have not yet been updated with the latest information, according to Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam.

In recent years, Lincoln has been in violation at various times of three state water usage guidelines by exceeding:

• the 0.53 mgd (million gallons per day) average withdrawal from the Charles River watershed allowed by its Water Management Act permit
• the 65 gallon-a-day per capita target
• the state goal of having less than 10% of water unaccounted for as a result of leaks in town mains and on private property between mains and individual homes

The three problems are tied together and are caused not just by residents using too much water in their homes and gardens, but because of water loss due to non-metered use and leaks — many of which have been going on for years. Some are hard to find because they’re underground and special equipment is needed to locate them.

“We’ve been working hard to reduce our unaccounted-for water,” LaFalam said. “We have gone to leak detection surveys twice a year, compared to the industry standard of once every two years. Our unaccounted-for water dropped from 26% in 2021 to a preliminary 5% in 2022,” though MassDEP is still reviewing that report, he added.

In 2022, Lincoln’s water use met the 0.53 mgd limit, though the average residential gallons per capita per day (RGPCD) was 73 mgd, compared to the DEP goal of 65 mgd, LaFalam said. “We did find some large leaks in 2022 and expect this number to be lower in the future, particularly with town residents’ cooperation with water conservation. The better we do on the unaccounted-for water, the lower the average daily water use will be and the lower the RGPCD will be.

“I think the leaks repaired last year go a long way towards reaching the three guidelines listed,” he added. “Continued vigilance with leak detection is also necessary. We recently fixed a ‘small’ leak on Brooks Hill Road that we estimate had leaked over 1 million gallons of water so far this year. We are also trying to get homeowners to repair leaking service lines as quickly as possible.”

The town’s water mains are very old and frequently spring new leaks. Some of the more dramatic leaks — though they don’t contribute to the unaccounted-for water — are in several places along a century-old disused clay pipe that once carried water from Flint’s Pond to Concord.

After a rainstorm, the leak creates an eight-inch-high “geyser” that’s loud enough to hear from the road about 100 feet away, but burbles above ground constantly even in dry weather, according to one resident who lives near the pipe south of Deerhaven Road close to Mill Brook. The resident said there are multiple leaks in the area that provide enough water for kids to play in during the summer, and that they’ve been going on for years.

Though the old pipe’s contents are not counted as part of Lincoln’s water usage, “it is water we’re losing from Flint’s Pond and we’re eager to get it fixed,” said LaFalam, adding that the Water Department hopes to get it fixed this spring or summer.

Asked whether the state might loosen its requirements over time as the population grows, he noted it was quite the opposite. “MassDEP will not get more relaxed when it comes to conservation. They are getting more and more strict, as evidenced by the Stage 1 water conservation level being reduced from two days outdoor watering per week to one day,” he said.