A ceremonial groundbreaking on June 16, 2021, marked the beginning of construction on the new 10,500-square-foot water treatment plant on Whitcomb Avenue to remove PFAS, iron and manganese.
Treatment Plant Groundbreaking
Category Archives: Announcement
Cedar Hill Water Tank
Cedar Hill Tank Project
Enter your email below to receive updates only when new content is added to this page*
WATER TANK DEMOLITION
Updated October 26th, 2023
The demolition of the old Cedar Hill Water Tank started October 23, 2023, and is scheduled to take up to four weeks to complete. The work is scheduled to occur weekdays, between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The work involves cutting the steel tank and dropping the pieces to the ground. Please anticipate loud noises and an unsightly worksite until the project is completed.
Work completed as of today:
-
- Old cellular antenna equipment has been removed from the top of the tank.
- The shed at the front of the tank was demolished.
- The top of the tank has been removed.
Up next:
-
- The large excavator with a 120-foot boom and revolving shear will cut the tank down in pieces.
- Once enough of the tank has been demolished, the steel pieces and waste materials will start to be removed from the site.
- After the tank has been removed, the tank foundation will be removed and the hole backfilled.
- The final step will be site grading and fence installation.
We are grateful to the residents who are impacted by this project, and we thank them for their patience and understanding as we constructed a new water tank to maintain the system infrastructure. The new tank is completed and in use.
Starting in early December, work will begin on constructing the metal water tank. Please see the “Cedar Hill Neighborhood Letter November 2021″ for more details.
Construction of a new water tank on Cedar Road is planned to begin on June 7th. Please see the “Cedar Hill Neighborhood Letter June 2021″ for more details.
Thank you for joining us on September 23rd, 2020 at 7:00 PM Eastern to learn more on the Cedar Hill Water Tank Project.
The Littleton Water Department has begun the process of replacing the existing water storage tank on Cedar Road with a NEW Storage Tank which will be constructed on the parcel abutting the existing water tank parcel (34 Cedar Road). The first step in this process was retaining the services of Tata & Howard, Inc. for the design and construction oversight of the New Cedar Hill Water Tank. Over the next several weeks you may notice some activity taking place at or near the existing tank site, as survey and soil borings are undertaken to assist in the design and layout of the new tank. The Littleton Water Department, along with Tata & Howard, plans on hosting an information session with abutters sometime after the New Year to present the plan and take questions from abutters.
A few facts about the project:
- The existing water storage tank was constructed in 1950 and holds approximately 485,000 gallons of water.
- Similar to the Georgetown Water tank photo above, the new tank design will be a composite concrete pedestal and steel tank with similar volume as our current tank on Cedar Hill.
- The existing Cedar Hill Tank is critical to LWD’s ability to meet the daily demand of our customers, as well as maintain proper pressure in the Long Lake neighborhood. Therefore, it will be necessary to keep the existing tank in service while the new tank is constructed.
- Once the NEW Storage Tank is completed and in service, the existing storage tank will be removed and the site restored.
This page will be updated as more information becomes available.
Advanced Meter Infrastructure
AMI Resources
Advanced Meter Infrastructure
The Littleton Electric Light & Water Department’s new meter infrastructure is AMI (Advanced Meter Infrastructure). These new meters use similar technology as our previous AMR meters but provide more benefits to you and LELWD.
What Are The benefits?
- Power Outage Notification– AMI can detect power outages and will instantly send an alert which will improve restoration times.
- New Programs– Opportunity to develop and enhance innovative programs for all customers (EV, solar, battery storage, off-peak programs, etc.)
- Water Leak Detection – AMI can detect water leaks which will help you and LWD conserve and protect water.
- Customer Portal– Customer access to detailed information that will help customers better understand energy and water use.
- Customer Service – Both electric and water meters can be read simultaneously and remotely to provide real time usage data for customer questions and concerns.
- Environmental Stewardship- LELWD can read meters remotely and efficiently. We will no longer need to drive through town to collect monthly readings which will reduce emissions and traffic in your neighborhood. We calculated a fuel savings of almost 1,000 gallons of gasoline per year!
FAQ
AMI stands for Advanced Metering Infrastructure. AMI is a system that allows LELWD to be able to remotely communicate with electric and water meters.
Just like traditional meters, Advanced Meters record the amount of electricity or water consumed over time. They differ from traditional utility meters in that they have additional functionality including communications and memory.
LELWD Advanced Meters communicate using radio frequency (RF) transmissions, similar to the Wi-Fi in your home.
RF emitted by these meters is well below the limits set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and below the levels produced by other common household devices like cell phones, baby monitors, satellite TVs, and microwave ovens. According to Dr. Peter A. Valberg, “You would have to be exposed to an Advanced Meter for 375 years to equal the RF emissions you get from using a cell phone for 15 minutes a day for one year”.
The RF emitted by Advanced Meters is a very low-field and intermittent. In fact, LELWD meters are programmed to only transmit their data three times a day. With more than 25,000 articles published on the topic over the last 30 years, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals. In-depth review of these scientific studies by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the small amount of RF energy produced by Advanced Meters is not harmful to human health.
The American Cancer Society explains the difficulty to prove or disprove a link between living in a house with smart meters and cancer because people have so many other sources of exposure to RF and the level of exposure from smart meters is so small. For example, the amount of RF radiation you could be exposed to from a smart meter is much less than RF radiation exposure from a cell phone. Therefore, it is very unlikely that living in a house with a smart meter increases risk of cancer. The World Health Organization has promised to conduct a formal assessment of the risks from RF exposure but this report is not yet available.
For more detailed explanations and information regarding RF, visit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF Safety FAQ page
Advanced Meters do not adversely affect the stability or performance of home wireless networks. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates all electronics to prevent one type of electronic equipment from interfering with other electronic and wireless devices that operate in the same frequency band.
According to the American Cancer Society, “One concern expressed is that the radio frequency (RF) waves produced by smart meters might interfere with electronic medical devices such as a heart pacemaker. A study that examined the effect of smart meters on pacemakers and implantable defibrillators found that the smart meters did not interfere with these devices.” More information can be found at: American Cancer Society Website FAQ page for Smart Meters.
This is completely normal, the meter screen toggles between the screen check (lit up) and meter info.
Distributed Generation
Distributed Generation
(Solar, Batteries, etc.)
The Littleton Electric Light & Water Departments allows customers to install solar and other distributed generation systems on their home or business. Customers should read the Interconnection Standards for Distributed Generation and the LELWD Rate Schedules. We cannot recommend installers, but we can recommend you talk to local installers, as they are most familiar to local ordinances and regulations as well as LELWD requirements. When an installer makes a proposal/estimate, make sure they are using LELD rates and charges. There is an application fee that is required when applying for interconnection, and will only be processed when the interconnection application is approved. This fee is waived for municipal entities.
Residential Interconnection
Residential Customers have a few options when adding solar and/or a battery to their home.
Net Metering (up to 8kW AC)
Excess energy is credited for being exported to the grid
- Annual consumption history required for system size approval.
Net Metering system size calculation- The sum of the 12 month billing cycle (kwh usage) determines system size for net metered systems. If the sum is greater than 10,560 kWh (the cap), then the customer is eligible for the maximum size allowed (8kW AC). Any sum below that is limited to that sum.
Annual consumption (kWh) / 110 kWh (industry standard) / 12 (months) = system size in kW AC
- Eligible for the Solar Rebate, $1per Watt of AC
- Subject to Rate 70, customers should read and fully understand that rate. Here is an example Electric Bill under Net Metering.
Non-Net Metering (up to 15kW AC)
Excess energy is not credited for being exported to the grid
- A net metering debarment acknowledgement must be established.
- System Size -The maximum allowable residential interconnection is 15 kW (AC Rating). Non-net metered systems don’t require annual consumption history.
Application Checklist for Residential Interconnection
- $250 Application fee (check payable to “LELD”)
- Interconnection application (Interconnection Standards)
- One-line drawing
- Plan View. to include- electric meter, disconnect switch and for rebate participants, an external production meter socket
Commercial Interconnection
Commercial Customers must be net metered and follow the interconnection standard based on their rate class.
Commercial customers must have net metering and are subject to Rate 70 and should read and fully understand that rate.
System Size -The maximum allowable small business, small commercial, or small industrial (Rate 20 – Customer Demand less than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than a system that annually produces more than 50% of the energy of the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.
The maximum allowable large business, large commercial, or large industrial (Rate 30 and Rate 40 – Customer Demand greater than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than 50% of the highest monthly peak demand from the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.
The maximum allowable municipal (Rate 50 and Rate 60) – interconnection cannot be sized larger than 100% of the previous 12 months of energy consumed.
Application Checklist for Commercial Interconnection
- Application fee (check payable to “LELD”) The fee is waived for municipal entities
- Interconnection application (Interconnection Standards)
- One-line drawing
- Plan View. to include- electric meter, disconnect switch, an external production meter socket
Solar Rebate
LELWD is offering a residential rebate of $1.00 per watt (AC), up to 50% of system costs, for approved net metering projects. Rebates will be dispensed on a first come, first served basis until all funds have been spent for solar projects that meet specific requirements. Rebates will be reserved for the term of the applicant’s interconnection application. The rebate is to make solar technology more affordable for our customers to transition to renewable energy.
Applicants must submit the Rebate Application and Participant’s Agreement after receiving Interconnection Application approval to reserve the rebate. After the solar project is complete and receives permission to operate from LELWD, the applicant must submit the Completion Form and a photo of the meter socket to start the rebate payment process.
Please download the program documents and submit them to [email protected], or deliver to LELWD at 39 Ayer Road, Littleton MA 01460.
Rebate Process
- Installer applies for interconnection to install with LELWD.
- If LELWD issues interconnection approval, the installer and customer can apply for the rebate.
- LELWD reviews the rebate application.
- If approved, LELWD returns the application with the eligible rebate amount.
- The installer and customer completes installation per LELWD’s interconnection standards and submits completion documents.
- LELWD reviews and completes final inspection of the project.
- Upon completion approval, LELWD will issue the rebate to the customer.
FAQ
No, an LELD customer must own the property and the distributed generation in order to interconnect to LELD’s distribution system. Any energy generated from a third party would have to be purchased directly by LELD through a purchased power agreement.
No, energy generated from a solar system must be applied to the meter of the account holder of record. Applying the energy usage to another account or property is not permitted as that is considered retail wheeling and not allowed in LELD service territory.
The maximum allowable residential interconnection is 15 kW (AC Rating). For net metered systems, a system sized estimated not to produce more annual energy than the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills, up to 8 kW (AC Rating) is eligible.
The maximum allowable small business, small commercial, or small industrial (Rate 20 – Customer Demand less than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than a system that annually produces more than 50% of the energy of the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.
The maximum allowable large business, large commercial, or large industrial (Rate 30 and Rate 40 – Customer Demand greater than 40 kVA) interconnection cannot be sized larger than 50% of the highest monthly peak demand from the previous 12 months of the customer’s bills.
The maximum allowable municipal (Rate 50 and Rate 60) – interconnection cannot be sized larger than 100% of the previous 12 months of energy consumed.
Yes, however, if the battery is AC coupled (having it’s own inverter) then it will impact the system size allowed for total interconnection. If the battery is DC coupled, it will have no impact but should still be stated on the application.
LELD uses true bidirectional meters for distributed generation customers, not net meters. Therefore, any surplus energy that is returned to the grid is accounted for at that moment. LELD charges the customer for all of the power that’s purchased from LELD and credit the customer for all that is returned and that energy is captured in separate registers in the meter. Example, if you take 1,000 kWh from LELD in a month and give back 800 kWh, you would be charged for 1,000 kWh and credited for 800 kWh, not simply charged for 200 kWh.
ACOUSTIC STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED LELWD PEAK POWER GENERATORS
This study’s objective is to demonstrate that the proposed future peak power generators in Littleton (the “Project”) will comply with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“MassDEP”) Noise Policy for both broadband and tonal noise at the nearest residential property lines and residences and will comply with the Littleton Noise Bylaw.
Dual Enrollment Program
The Littleton Electric Light and Water Department has partnered with Littleton High School to create a dual enrollment program for Littleton High School students who are interested in pursuing college-level courses in the fields of engineering/technology or environmental sciences.
The Dual Enrollment program provides opportunities for Littleton High School students to take college-level courses and earn credit toward their future college degrees. LELWD will cover the cost of the course as well as any books that the student may need.
Requirements:
- Littleton High School junior or senior student with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater
Process (To be completed in this order):
- LHS student must submit a letter of recommendation from principal, guidance counselor or teacher to LELWD.
- LHS student to be interviewed by LELWD staff prior to being awarded.
- Once awarded the grant, LHS student must submit an application and high school transcripts with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to the Dual Enrollment University.
- LHS student must provide a parental signature and a guidance counselor signature allowing them to take classes on campus.
- LHS Student must register and enroll in course. Students are limited to enrolling in 1000 and 2000 level courses in the fields of engineering/technology or environmental sciences.
Deadlines:
- LHS student to submit a letter of recommendation from principal, guidance counselor or teacher to LELWD prior to the following dates:
- Fall Semester – April 1st
- Spring Semester – October 1st
- Summer Semester – February 1st
- LHS student will then be contacted by LELWD to set up an interview.
- Successful LHS students will then need to complete the appropriate applications required by the college by the appropriate deadlines.
- Upon being accepted by the Dual Enrollment University, LHS student then needs to register for classes by the Dual Enrollment University class registration deadlines.
To learn more about the process, Click Here.
To submit an online application, Click Here.
To learn about The Denise M. Pagacik Memorial Scholarship, Click Here.
Electric Rate Schedule / PPC
Purchased Power Charge (PPC)
Download PDF of Electric Rate Schedule PPC
Designation: MDPU 190
Applicable to:
All filed retail rate schedules referencing this clause.
Rate Charges:
The object of the PPC clause is to recover the total cost of power supply including losses.
The “total cost of power supply” is defined as the sum of the fixed and variable costs of power (including fuel and pool interchange net costs), and the cost of transmission of electricity by others, recorded in the FERC Uniform System of Accounts under account numbers;
555 Purchased Power;
557 Other Purchased Power; and
565 Transmission of Electricity by Others.
There shall be added to each monthly bill, for each schedule, an amount equal to the total kWh billed
during the month multiplied by the Purchased Power Charge determined as follows:
PPC = A + C
where
PPC = Purchased Power Charge
A = Estimated average cost of purchased power for the calendar year per kilowatt-hour sold as forecast by the Department, net of charges or credits for NEPOOL interchange, plus the total savings credited to Residential customers under the PASNY Power Credit Clause.
C = Adjustment for past differentials between purchased power cost incurred and Power Cost Adjustment revenues collected.
Effective: April 1, 2015
Private Area Lighting/Rate 80
Private Area Lighting
Download PDF of Electric Rate Schedule 80
Designation: MDPU 280
Superseding: MDPU 180
Applicable to:
In the Towns of Littleton and Boxborough, any customer other than the Town of Littleton, for outdoor lighting including unaccepted streets.
Character of Service:
The Department will own, install, service and energize lights of the size and type listed below, to be connected directly to the Department’s existing facilities. Light fixtures will be energized from approximately 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, about 4,200 hours annually.
Additional poles or facilities at extra cost.
Go here to apply for Private Lighting.
Fixed Monthly Charge:
For each light and pole, to recover the cost of the light fixture, hardware, pole, and maintenance.
| Size (Watts) |
Type | Approx. Lumens | Approx. Monthly kWh per Fixture |
Monthly Charge |
| 175 | MV Roadway | 8,000 | 67 | $4.40 |
| 400 | MV Flood | 22,000 | 158 | $8.75 |
| 1000 | MV Flood | 63,000 | 354 | $15.93 |
| 50 | MH Roadway | 4,000 | 21 | $4.55 |
| 100 | MH Roadway | 9,600 | 41 | $5.81 |
| 400 | MH Flood | 32,000 | 157 | $12.79 |
| 1000 | MH Flood | 140,000 | 385 | $14.29 |
| 0 to 50 | LED Roadway | 2,480 | 10 | $6.83 |
| 51 to 100 | LED Roadway | 4,806 | 30 | $8.72 |
| 101 to 150 | LED Flood | 48 | $19.19 | |
| 35′ Pole | N/A | N/A | $4.00 |
Purchased Power Charge:
For all kWh’s, a charge per kWh to recover the cost of purchased power and transmission in accordance with currently filed Purchased Power Charge (PPC).
Terms:
Charges for lighting services will appear as an item on a customer’s electric bill and bear the same terms as the customer’s general service rate.
Conditions:
Lamp replacement and maintenance will be performed as soon as possible following notification by customer for the need for such service. No light shall be more than 150 feet from the Department’s existing overhead distribution facilities. The customer shall agree the Department will not be required to move its facilities to another location on the customers’ premises unless the customer shall bear the cost thereof. Customer hereby agrees to take service for a minimum period of 12 months, unless the customer’s right to occupy the premises ceases during such period. This schedule reflects actual expenses incurred in operation and maintenance, including fuel.
Effective: April 1, 2015
Littleton Precipitation Totals
Littleton Precipitation Totals
The Littleton Water Department (LWD) is an active participant in the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office of Water Resources’ Rainfall Program. As one of 150 monitoring stations across the state, LWD collects precipitation data on a daily basis that is then used in the state’s drought monitoring program. Additional information on this state program can be found at www.mass.gov.
Solar Distribution Charge Explanation
In 2011, the Littleton Electric Light Department (LELD) began to allow its customers to interconnect distributed generation to LELD’s distribution system as long as the interconnecting customers followed the requirements and process laid out in LELD’s Interconnection Standards. Since then, the use of distributed generation is growing fast, not just here in Littleton but across the entire United States. As of October 2014, there was just less than 8,000 MW of installed solar capacity across the United States on residential and commercial rooftops. This growth has been stimulated by environmental concerns, economic stimulus, and utility rate structure that have provided a benefit to solar customers. Most utilities in the U.S., including LELD, use net metering to measure and compensate customers for the generation that they produce.
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) conducted a national study that concluded that a typical residential customer uses 982 kWh of electricity per month. This typical bill can be broken into three distinct cost groups: $70 allocated to generation, $30 allocated to distribution, and $10 allocated to transmission. Transmission and distribution charges are fixed costs that do not vary on hourly customer loads, and roughly 80% of the generation costs are variable meaning that only $56 or 51% of a typical customer’s bill is variable. This is a significant dilemma, specifically with regards to grid-tied customer owned distributed generation, since LELD only charges a $5.00 base charge and collects the remainder of its fixed costs through a customer’s consumption.
Prior to May 2015, LELD’s net metering rate (rate 70) returned the full retail rate to solar customers for excess generation and did not recoup any of the fixed costs through a distribution charge. In May of 2015, the Board of Commissioners approved a new net metering rate (rate 70) that was a better balance between simplicity and accuracy, aligned costs and prices, supported environmental stewardship, and ensured that rates were well suited and equitable for all customers. This was accomplished by splitting apart the rate structure into a Purchased Power Charge (Cost of Energy) and a Distribution Charge (Fixed Costs).The net metering rate was amended to only return the Purchase Power Charge for excess generation and a solar distribution charge was introduced to recover some of the fixed costs.
The actual electricity generated by a solar PV system is a function of its size (nameplate rating), efficiency, sun exposure, and a variety of other factors. According to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, 1 kW of an optimal solar PV system will generally produce 1,320 kWh per year. This production spread over a 12 month period equates to 110 kWh per month per kW of an installed solar PV system. In the LELD net metering rate (rate 70), a solar distribution charge was established to recover some of the fixed costs that are not being recovered through customer consumption. For a residential customer the solar distribution charge is the product of 110 kWh, per 1 kW of installed distributed generation and LELD’s Distribution Energy Charge ($0.0265). According to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, residential solar PV systems are generally sized around 5 kW, which would equate to a $14.58 solar distribution charge to a LELD customer. Even with the solar distribution charge and customer base charge, LELD is only recovering approximately 37% of the fixed costs through fixed charges.