DALTON, Mass. — The town's aging infrastructure remains a top concern for many officials, with recent discussions focusing on water, sewer, and stormwater systems as leaders begin evaluating how to tackle the costly work while protecting taxpayers from an overwhelming financial burden.

 

During the Select Board meeting in July, Capital Planning Committee Chair Thomas Irwin, who also serves as a Finance Committee member, advocated for the purchase of a subscription to Waterworth, a financial planning and modeling tool. 

 

"Their vision was to help municipalities make better long-term infrastructure investment and utility rate decisions by replacing disconnected spreadsheets with a single living financial planning model," he told the board. 

 

The Select Board tabled the discussion and decided to vote on the proposed subscription — whether it's the one-year plan or the discounted three-year plan — during a meeting in August. 

 

The town's drinking water system experiences regular water main breaks, particularly during the winter months, Irwin said. 

 

While the stormwater and sanitary sewer systems are not under pressure, they face their own challenges, including increased infiltration during rainstorms that raises sewer treatment costs and compliance concerns where stormwater lines run beneath sanitary sewer lines, Irwin said. 

 

Waterworth has several subscriptions to choose from but the main two discussed were the three-year and one year models.