MARION — On the list of action items at every Selectmen’s meeting are water/sewer abatements requests. Residents ask the board for a lessening of their bill in certain circumstances such as a leak.

Lately, Selectmen (who also act as the town’s water and sewer commissioners) have been receiving more abatement requests that have been denied. So, the Board and Town Administrator Jay McGrail took the time at its Nov. 3 meeting to explain how the abatements work.

The main point that Selectmen got across was that they don’t abate water bills, only sewer bills. And the only way sewer bills are abated is by proving there was an unintentional water break (like a leak) and that the water did not enter the sewer system. 

“If they have water leaks on the property, they’re responsible for it,” Vice Chair John Waterman said.

For example, an abatement request for 9 Shellheap Road was approved. Why? Because the unintentional break was a hose irrigation leak, and the water didn’t enter the town’s sewer system. What’s more, the homeowner was able to prove they had an irrigation hose leak.

At the same meeting, an abatement request for 32 West Avenue was denied. Over the summer, the basement of the home flooded from a heavily leaking dishwasher. Selectmen said water loss is the owner’s responsibility and they don’t abate water bills.

Another abatement request was partially fulfilled for 20 South Street at the same meeting. The homeowner’s leak alarm went off, which revealed several leaks in the home. Selectmen and McGrail agreed that it would be impossible to calculate the water loss, so they only abated the sewer bill for $1,751.51.

Another issue that McGrail said is coming up more often is people trying to abate their water because they believe they are too high.

This was the case for a request on 40 Dexter Road that was denied at the meeting. 

And other water abatement requests, such as one for 24 West Drive, were denied because the home isn’t on the town’s sewer system.