Weymouth Council Unanimously Approves MWRA Water Connection Application

WEYMOUTH — May 6, 2024 — Weymouth Town Council unanimously approved an application to join the MWRA water system, committing the town to permanently decommission Whitman's Pond as a water supply. The council voted to approve amended Measure 23083 at its May 6 meeting after more than a year of negotiations between the Public Works Committee, chaired by Councilor Arthur Matthews, and Mayor Robert Hedlund's administration. The measure requires any final MWRA construction plan to return to the council for approval and mandates biannual public meetings through the application process. Councilor Joseph McDowell credited new language protecting Whitman's Pond as key to his support, calling the result "a good collaboration." The council also referred eight fiscal measures totaling more than $1.9 million — including $983,351.67 for Fire Department salaries and $820,000 for Fire Department overtime — to the Budget Management Committee.