With a handful of residents failing to meet appointments for mandated backflow testing, the Peterborough Department of Public Works has requested that the town allow them to fine uncompliant customers.
During its meeting on Tuesday, DPW Director Seth MacLean told the Select Board that twice a year, the town does testing at homes with public water and sewer. The purpose of the test, he said, is to ensure that the backflow prevention devices are working properly to protect the town’s drinking water supply from possible contamination by outside sources of water.
The utility division sets up a time to do the testing, and customers are notified and able to change the appointment if it doesn’t work for them, said MacLean. Customers are charged a $60 fee for each device inspection, which covers the town’s cost to run the program. However, each year there are utility customers that don’t make or keep required appointments, said MacLean.
In a memo to the board, MacLean said that delays in testing the devices “puts scheduling strains on our Utilities Division, costs the Division additional resources, and results in non-compliance issues with [New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services].”
“It can get costly, honestly, for utilities customers who are paying for that time,” said MacLean.
MacLean said the issue isn’t systemic – of the about 300 customers the water system serves, there are only about 10 that need multiple follow-ups to be able to find a time when the owner is home to do the testing. But it’s enough that he would like to be able to charge for additional attempts to do the backflow testing – $60 per extra visit, the same for a successful testing visit.
The board was in favor of allowing the measure, as long as the customers were warned ahead of time of the change in policy.
MacLean said that customers are notified, and that notification could include the procedure and warning that future missed appointments would be charged for.
“Hopefully you won’t have to charge anyone, and they’ll get on board,” said Select Board Chair Tyler Ward.
The board unanimously agreed to the measure.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.