Orleans Water Board Adopts Revised Watershed Plan, Plans March Drought Vote

ORLEANS — February 18, 2026 — Orleans water commissioners adopt revised watershed plan and brace for spring drought restrictions. The Orleans Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners voted 7-0 Wednesday to adopt a revised watershed management plan that adds documentation of five wick wells and four monitoring wells, tightens Zone 1 groundwater-protection language drawn verbatim from state DEP policy, and formally prohibits herbicide and pesticide use on watershed properties. Water Department Director Sue Brown reported 16 water main breaks in January — attributed to aging cast iron pipe, thermal stress, and ground disturbance from sewer construction — and disclosed that cleaning of the critical Quanset Road Well 7 ran roughly $33,000 over its $30,000 budget, with a town meeting article submitted to recover the overage. The board remains at a Level 2 drought under state classification, with groundwater well below the DEP mandatory-restriction trigger; commissioners said they expect to vote on May 1 outdoor-watering restrictions at their March 18 meeting, with language targeted for the April 1 water bills. Veolia Regional Manager Mike Leahy disclosed that plant operator Dan Sullivan has left the Orleans wastewater operation, with Operations Supervisor Adam Curtis overseeing the facility in the interim while recruiting proceeds.