Kingston Water Commission Sends Cease-and-Desist Over $17,500 in Flushable-Wipes Damage

KINGSTON -- March 17, 2026, Kingston Water Commission moves to recover $17,500 from resident over flushable-wipes sewer damage. The commission voted unanimously at its March 17 meeting to send a cease-and-desist letter to a property owner whose disposal of flushable wipes has triggered 45 service calls and $17,536.73 in documented labor and equipment costs since October 2025, according to Water Department Superintendent Dave, who identified the property through camera inspections and manhole trap monitoring. The department's rules allow fines of up to $1,000 per day per violation, and members noted the potential cumulative penalty would far exceed the documented cost. In separate unanimous votes, the commission assessed an $8,000 betterment over 20 years for a one-bedroom ADU at 94 Summer Street, granted preliminary sewer-connection approval to a pet aquamation operator seeking a Kingston location, and adjusted bills totaling more than $30,000 across three properties affected by equipment failures and a frozen-pipe break.