Carlisle Approves Water and Sewer Rate Hikes, Raises Sewer Connection Fee 50 Percent

CARLISLE — May 13, 2026 — Carlisle Public Works Commission approves FY2027 water and sewer rate increases and raises sewer connection fee by 50 percent. The commission voted 4-0 with one abstention Wednesday to approve a 12.5 percent water rate increase and a 5 percent sewer rate increase — continuing multiyear plans — while also raising the sewer improvement fee from $40.07 per gallon to $60 per gallon, the first adjustment since 2013. Public Works Director Alan Foulds and consultant Kent Nichols of Weston and Sampson told the commission the fee remains well below its true cost-reflective value, which a groundwater discharge expansion scenario puts at roughly $125 per gallon, and called the $60 figure a baseline inflation adjustment pending resolution of the MCI Concord redevelopment opportunity. The average water customer will pay approximately $108 more per year. The commission deferred for one year a new $500 installation fee and $25 monthly read charge for customers opting out of the town's smart meter rollout, after residents Gail Heyer and Don Kupka argued the fees were punitive and raised privacy and health concerns. Water and Sewer Superintendent Darren LaFollum disclosed that two wells — Hugh Cargill and White Pond — were simultaneously offline, warning that a mandatory outdoor water ban could be necessary as soon as Friday.