741 Colonel Ledyard Highway
Ledyard, Connecticut 06339
TOWN OF LEDYARD
Water Pollution Control Authority
Meeting Minutes
Chairman
Ed Lynch
Public Hearing - Water Rate Increase
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
6:00 PM
Council Chambers - Hybrid
I.
CALL TO ORDER
The Public Hearing Meeting was called to order by Chairman Lynch at 6:00 p.m.
II.
PROCEDURE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING
III.
CALL OF THE PUBLIC HEARING
IV.
1.
PRESENTATION
Proposed 5% Water Rate Increase.
Chairman Lynch started the presentation by stating there is a proposed five percent increase to
the water rate due to two factors. The first is Groton Utilities will impose a five percent increase
to the raw water cost starting on October 1, 2024, the WPCA is unable to absorb these increases.
The second factor is that the WPCA never budgeted for contingencies. The Department of
Health mandated that all Water Utilities companies check for lead. There are presently eleven
unknown services in Ledyard that need to be checked because of lack of documentation. There is
no budget in place to pay for the lead testing services. Local towns such as Groton City and New
London are receiving grant money to help pay for lead testing. Even though the services in
question are believed to be using plastic piping there could still be a small lead insert that
connects the meter to the house. If the lead piping is less than 20" it can be pulled and replaced
with another material.
V.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Please limit to three minutes.
Eric Treaster, 10 Huntington Way, expressed concerns about the unintended consequences of a
rate increase. His first concern is customers who use no water because their house as vacant are
charged the same monthly rate as a home with a family of four using 3,000 of water, Mr.
Treaster said it doesn't seem quite right. He added that the rate structure seems to penalize large
families at the expense of small families. Mr. Treaster said raising the rates of water has
unintended consequences such as lowering values of homes or discouraging people from moving
into Ledyard. He asked what the checks and balances are for Groton Utilities, can they charge
whatever they want? Is there is a mechanism in place when GU raises its rates and Ledyard can't
afford it? Ideally Mr. Treaster would like charges to be based only on numbers of gallons used.