Waterville Valley held a public informational session on October 9, 2026, to update residents on the progress of the new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) project. The discussion covered design milestones, a significant exploration of regionalization options, funding strategies, and long-term financial planning for the town’s wastewater infrastructure.
Project Status and Design Progress
The project team reported that major equipment selection — centered on a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) process — has been completed. Facility layouts are under development, with the structural model largely finished. The team is beginning to engage with renewable energy technologies to support the new facility, with plans to balance cost and effectiveness and gather community input on preferences. (link)
The entire project schedule is being driven by the Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) issued by the EPA. The team described the timeline as having “virtually no margin” for delays. The 60% detailed design is targeted for submission in January, with the 90% design to follow through July — allowing for the required EPA review period. Construction bidding is planned for November 2027, a notice to proceed is anticipated in 2027, with construction commencing in 2028 and completion targeted for 2031. (link)
Regionalization: A Pipeline to Plymouth
A major topic of discussion was the possibility of regionalizing the wastewater system by constructing an approximately 16.6-mile pressurized pipeline to the Plymouth treatment plant. The Town Manager stated that a meeting with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) commissioner and staff is scheduled to explore state support for this concept, with the Select Board Chair and Assistant Town Manager participating. The Plymouth district manager has indicated willingness to accept Waterville Valley’s effluent. (link)
Under the pipeline concept, the existing lagoons in Waterville Valley could be repurposed as equalization basins, and the current plant could be converted into a headworks (screening plant) for the pipeline. Key challenges include multiple river crossings requiring horizontal directional drilling, rail crossings, and significant rock excavation — with rock variability identified as the biggest cost driver. The project team noted that pipeline alternatives have historically cost more than plant upgrades, but that a regional approach would open substantially more federal funding opportunities and allow for cost sharing among multiple communities.
Town officials emphasized that the regionalization option is still in early stages and that no cost estimate has been developed for the pipeline, as they are waiting for NH DES to confirm support before investing in detailed engineering. The project team cautioned that they are monitoring this option carefully to ensure it does not delay the primary AOC-driven milestones.
Funding and Financial Outlook
The engineering cost estimate remains at $15.3 million, currently carried as an allowance that also includes construction-phase services. A member of the public questioned whether this figure remained appropriate given that the overall project cost has been reduced from approximately $117 million to a current range of $50–$70 million (note, the budget allowance has not changed from the original $117M estimate - refer to page 50). The project team explained that it represents approximately 10% for design and 10% for construction management and that it will be refined as the design advances. (link)
The town is pursuing multiple funding avenues. One source being explored is federal emergency funding: because Grafton County was declared a state of emergency in 2022 and 2023, Waterville Valley automatically qualifies to seek funds aimed at improving facilities and hardening infrastructure against future disasters. The grant amount under this program remains uncertain. (link)
The State Aid Grant (SAG) program, which could provide 20–30% of project costs, is another target. Waterville Valley cannot appear on the SAG priority list until 2027, based on the program’s five-year construction period cycle. The project team noted that while not every year yields available funds, qualifying projects generally receive some level of SAG support over time. The team anticipates having a clearer picture of secured funding from most sources by spring to summer 2027, with the SAG decision expected around September 2027.
A contingency of 20% is currently being carried in the project budget which is typical at this phase of the project.
New commercial development in the town center would be subject to impact fees at the time of permitting, which would contribute toward project costs.
Plant Design and Capacity
The new plant’s average design flow is 0.2 million gallons per day (MGD), or 200,000 gallons per day, with a peak hourly flow of 1 MGD — representing approximately a 10% increase over current capacity. A key design goal is to attenuate the peak flow so that the plant is not required to fully treat the 1 MGD peak that occurs during rain events. (link)
The headworks is being designed for higher build-out capacity — up to 1 MGD — because the marginal cost of doing so during initial construction is minimal compared to the substantial expense of expanding it later. The MBR cassettes (membrane filtration units) can be added incrementally within the existing footprint to accommodate future expansion driven by additional development. The design also reserves space for potential future treatment requirements such as granular activated carbon systems for PFAS removal, allowing for future upgrades without requiring an entirely new plant. (link)
The membranes are expected to last 10 to 15 years with proper maintenance.
Separately, during a question-and-answer exchange, it was confirmed that eliminating the “equalization basin” (Q-base) from the design would represent a potential cost savings of approximately $5 million. (link)
EPA Compliance and Environmental Liability
The AOC issued by the EPA currently protects the town from lawsuits by environmental advocacy groups for non-compliance. Town officials confirmed that such groups have sued municipalities that have failed to meet EPA milestones, and that the town would lose such a suit and be required to pay the plaintiffs’ legal costs. NH DES has separately expressed serious concern about this risk. The AOC provides the town legal protection as long as it remains in compliance with its milestone schedule. (link)
The project team explained that environmental permits consistently become more stringent over time. The existing plant can no longer meet permit requirements — particularly ammonia limits — that changed in 2022. The MBR process was selected in part because it is well-suited to removing multiple forms of nitrogen (including nitrates and nitrites) in anticipation of even stricter future limits. Regionalization was also noted as a way to shift direct permit compliance responsibility to a regional entity.
Tax Impact and Depreciation
Millage rate projections were discussed. Under “scenario one” (the highest-cost approach), the millage rate could nearly double. Under “option three” — described as the Select Board’s preferred approach — the millage rate would increase from approximately 10 to 15 mills, reflecting a more gradual ramp-up. Option three involves setting aside $1–2 million annually into a reserve fund before construction, beginning potentially as early as next year, to smooth the eventual tax impact. (link)
An important clarification emerged during the session: the current millage projections do not include depreciation savings for the eventual replacement of the new plant — a legally required obligation. Town officials acknowledged this gap and committed to incorporating depreciation estimates into future financial presentations. The final depreciation figure will depend on the plant’s ultimate construction cost. Residents and members of the public urged that future presentations clearly indicate that the projected rates do not yet include this additional obligation.
Resort Wastewater Connection
The resort currently has an existing wastewater line connecting to the town’s treatment plant. With the mountain not formally included in the new plant’s design at this stage, town officials indicated that negotiations will be held with the resort to determine the best path forward. Options include the resort potentially developing its own septic system, pending U.S. Forest Service approval, or connecting to the new plant — for which the town stated it has capacity. (link)
Looking Ahead
The project team emphasized that cost reduction remains the top priority and that costs have come down significantly since February. The 60% design milestone in January will bring a more complete picture of operational costs, and subsequent design milestones will further refine the financial outlook. Officials encouraged residents to stay engaged and noted that the presentation slides would be posted to the town website early the following week.