Kingston Water Board Approves Abatement, Pushes Conservation Bylaw Forward

Water · Meeting of February 10, 2026

Kingston water commissioners advance conservation bylaw talks and order shutoffs for non-reading meters. The Board of Water Commissioners voted unanimously at its February 10 meeting to direct staff to send certified letters and shut off water at five apparently vacant properties showing no meter usage, and to issue formal hand-delivered notices, accompanied by a police officer, to two occupied homes whose meters have registered no consumption for several years. The board also moved closer to drafting a water conservation bylaw required under a state administrative order on consent, with staff member Kristen reporting that a draft template has been sent to town counsel to determine whether a full bylaw or a rules-and-regulations adoption will suffice; commissioner Bud pushed back against any language broad enough to let outside bodies trigger restrictions, saying "if this gets to town meeting as a bylaw, there are going to be people who want to add more restrictions so that they can protect the fish that run up the river." The new test well project remained stalled, with Mars Services' drilling rig stranded on site by snow-blocked access off Route 44 and no site work expected for at least two to three weeks.

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