Here’s Why Berkshire Residents Maybe Paying More This Year On Their Sewer Bill

Many residents of Berkshire County are unaware that wastewater treatment plants generate large amounts of sewage sludge that need to be disposed of, typically through incineration, landfilling, or, less frequently nowadays, land application as fertilizer.

However, the available disposal methods are becoming more limited: environmental concerns have reduced the appeal of using fertilizer, and fewer sites, such as landfills, accept it. Let's explore what is happening.

Unsplash

A Sewer Price Hike Is In Store For Northern Berkshire County Residents

When you get your sewer bill next time, you might see higher charges because treatment plant costs are rising. According to The Berkshire Eagle, until last year, the Hoosac Water Quality District, responsible for residents in North Adams, Williamstown, and part of Clarksburg, disposed of its processed sewage sludge as fertilizer.

Unsplash

Why Is Sewer Compost Becoming More Expensive?

Nowadays, it’s worthwhile to transport compost 250 miles to a facility that accepts it, such as a Casella Waste Systems Inc. landfill in Ontario County, New York. At this site, the compost is spread over an open landfill, with a daily limit in place to prevent birds, reduce odors, and keep trash bags from being blown away.

That disposal method is directly causing a $200,000 rise in the Hoosac Water Quality District’s fiscal 2027 budget, bringing the proposed total to $2.3 million. That cost will then fall on the residents of the communities served by the Hoosac Water Quality District. However, the rising cost is not the only concern.

Unsplash

Sewer Sludge: What Is It?

As regional sludge sites fill up, Berkshire County wastewater plants face rising costs and uncertainty about where to dispose of sludge each week. Concerns about 'forever chemicals' are also increasing. Wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers, washing machines, and businesses is treated at a treatment plant, where solids are separated from the water.

The water is treated and released, while the residual solid material, which contains human waste, food scraps, grease, dirt, chemicals, and microbes, is called sewage sludge.

Read More: How Massachusetts Waste Bans Protect The Environment

Unsplash

Running Out Of Room

Hoosac Water Quality’s wastewater treatment plant, located on Simonds Road in Williamstown, is among the four public sludge composting facilities in Massachusetts. After extracting most of the water from raw sewage sludge and turning it into compost, the Hoosac Water Quality District used to market the compost as a fertilizer for land use. However, they ceased selling the compost in early 2025 due to concerns about PFAS contamination.

Unfortunately, Wastewater facilities are facing a challenging situation as the need for disposal grows while available options dwindle, especially amid increasing regulations and awareness of PFAS. By 2028, it is estimated that at least 12,000 dry tons of sludge will lack a proper disposal method under current management practices.

Are you noticing any changes to your sewer bill? Let us know in our app. 

Get our free mobile app