Kingston Water Board Advances Conservation Rules, Approves Meter Software Contract

Water · Meeting of March 10, 2026

Kingston's Board of Water Commissioners moved closer to adopting a formal water conservation regulation at its March 10 meeting, settling on key enforcement details while leaving unresolved a legal question about which body holds authority to approve the rule. Consulting engineer Kristen Berger of Resilience walked the board through draft language modeled on a state DEP template and regulations from Groton and Ipswich, with commissioners agreeing on a sliding fine scale — a warning, then $50, $100, and $300 for subsequent violations — drawn from Ipswich's model. The board voted unanimously to approve a $3,700 annual software support contract with Core and Maine for the department's radio-read meter system and granted two water-use abatements at the lowest per-gallon rate, including one for a vacant property at 91 Main Street where a burst-pipe leak drove usage to nearly 700,000 gallons and caused the home's ceiling to collapse.

The new well project remains on hold pending snowmelt at the field site, and the project ranked near the bottom of the state's draft SRF intended-use plan because it addresses water quantity rather than a contamination violation.

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Source: the Water meeting of March 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.