Municipal Water System
Contacts
The Water Commission can be reached via email at: wateradmin@gmavt.net.
For a Water System Emergency, please contact Simon Operation Services (SOS) who operate the Waitsfield Water System. If there is an emergency after hours and weekends, dial 802-741-2347 entering the call back phone number slowly and accurately.
If there is an emergency during normal, weekday business hours (8am-4pm) call the SOS office: 802-244-7420. If you go to voicemail, leave a brief voicemail with short details, and call back info. After leaving the message hang up and then dial the emergency number 802-741-2347 and leave your phone number.
Billing and Payment
Bills are issued quarterly in January, April, July, and October. Once the meter readings have been collected by the Water Operator, they are transmitted into the Town billing software. Bills are generated based on usage for the previous quarter and include the operations and maintenance and debt service costs.
Payment
Payment can be made by check, cash, or credit card utilizing this link. Credit card transactions are handled by a third party federal processing application which charges a 3% fee on all transactions.
Delinquency
Payment is due 30 days from the date appearing on the invoice, late payments are charged 18% per annum (1.5% per month). Customers are charged interest after 30 days for any overdue payments.
Meter Reading
Each connected property has a meter (or multiple ganged meters for larger properties) and an MXU (Meter Transceiver Unit) that transmits the meter data to the meter reader. Meter reading is conducted in the last two weeks of the quarter by the Water Operator.
About Equivalent Residential Units
Since its inception, Waitsfield Water System has used a capacity-based system which utilizes the wastewater permit for assigning equivalent residential units, or ERUs. This system allows for customers to be treated consistently. The Ordinance defines “ERU” as an Equivalent Residential Unit. Water customers other than single family residences shall have their ERUs calculated by dividing the permitted wastewater capacity by 245 gallons per day. The minimum ERU per property is one (1) ERU. Example: A mixed use property has a wastewater capacity of 460gpd which is 1.88ERUs Each property (parcel) is charged a Base Fee based on the property ERUs. The “Base Fee” is defined as debt service, operations and maintenance cost, and capital reserves multiplied by the ERU allocation that is assessed to the owner of each unit regardless of whether a meter exists for each unit or for several units. The Base Fee is inclusive of 10,000 gallons of water usage per quarter per ERU. Additional usage over 10,000 gallons per ERU is charged in arrears.
The Waitsfield Community Water System (WCWS) originates with the water supply well at 300 Long Road. This well was drilled in 2006 and determined to have a safe yield of 186 gpm. The water distribution system consists of approximately 7.4 miles of pipe, 31 hydrants, numerous gate-valves, and a 407,000-gallon reinforced concrete storage tank. The 407,000-gallon capacity storage tank is located on a town-owned elevated parcel just off Dump Road, which is a private road connected to Bushnell Road. In addition to the storage tank itself, critical components of the storage system include the telemetry system, the level sensor and manual float systems. The system is permitted to produce 168 gallons per minute from the pump. And averages approximately 16,000,000 gallons annually. A standby chlorination system is available for activation, should water quality conditions or a directive from Vermont DWGPD indicate the need. For safety the system is flushed once a year with a small amount of chlorine. The system cost over $8 million in 2012, financed by a combination of grants and two USDA RD loans. The Debt Service and O&M costs are paid solely by the water users.
Water Quality Reports
Access the current and archived Consumer Confidence Reports: