ABINGTON — September 28, 2026 — The Abington-Rockland Joint Water Works has stopped approving water for new development under an emergency declaration that runs at least until Jan. 30, the Select Board heard Monday, as water officials weigh an immediate Brockton bypass costing about half a million dollars and a long-term Brockton pipeline estimated at $8 million.
The Full Story
The figures came during a water capacity discussion the agenda listed for Water Superintendent Kristel Cameron and the Abington Water Board. The board heard that the water commissioners voted July 29 to seek an emergency declaration and that MassDEP issued it the next day as reservoir levels fell.
The water board has also put a hold on development approvals for water. Accessory dwelling units and renovations that add a bedroom are still allowed; beyond those, no water is being approved. The declaration is in place until at least Jan. 30 and can be extended.
Level four restrictions, the highest, remain in effect, and the water board has begun fining violators: $100 for a first fine and $300 for the second and every one after. Vegetable gardens may still be watered; irrigation may not. The board also heard that water allocated to 10 Railroad Street was pulled after being held for more than 10 years, though water for fire protection there was kept.
Since Aug. 23, the system has drawn on an emergency interconnection with Whitman, which is supplied by Brockton, and Abington is billed by Brockton directly. That supply comes from Silver Lake, which cannot be tapped for long without straining it. The immediate option is a bypass from Brockton into Abington that would let the treatment plant drawing on the local reservoir shut down while the reservoir refills. Abington would also pay part of Brockton’s cost of turning on its Aquaria supply to replenish Silver Lake. Running the bypass pipeline would cost about half a million dollars.
For the long term, the department is studying MWRA water through a regional group that includes Rockland and Hanover, and a Brockton connection under an intermunicipal agreement that would fix the price. The long-term Brockton line is estimated at $8 million. A developer has offered to pay for studies and that pipeline under a memorandum of understanding now in its third draft.
Nobody is getting a free ride here. Nobody is coming to save us with our water emergency.
— Amanda Hunter, who identified herself as chair of the Joint Water Commission 1:54:37
Hunter said the commission is weighing the agreement with an eye to not passing costs on to ratepayers, noting that people already struggle to pay their water bills.
Daniel Eddy pressed on whether any new source would ultimately land on ratepayers. The answer was that in-house work such as redeveloping an existing well or leak detection can be paid from current rates, while a new treatment plant would be a different matter.
