• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Wellesley Square
  • Deland, Gibson Insurance Athlete of the Week
  • Camp
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Live government meetings
  • Raiders sports schedules & results
  • Fire & police scanner
  • 2023 Town Election
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley sustainability roundup: MLP urges customers to cut back during peak times; $olid gold wa$te; Track water use online

July 19, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The town of Wellesley has sustainability efforts underway this summer on a number of fronts:

MLP urges customers to cut back during peak times

With the heat wave upon us, the Wellesley Municpal Light Plant is encouraging customers to cut back energy use during the peak hours of 3-7pm. That means charging vehicles, running the dryer, etc., during off hours if possible, and turning up the thermostat on your AC a few degrees. While there’s no shortage of electricity, conserving during peak demand periods can cut costs and reduce reliance on dirtier fuel sources.

“As demand grows, price skyrockets. At last summer’s price peak on June 30, wholesale electric prices per MWh were over ten times the average for the year,” according to the MLP.

You can sign up for alerts to be notified by the MLP when it makes the most sense to reduce energy use (send an email to
shavethepeak@wellesleyma.gov with the subject and body blank).

shave peak
Wellesley is bracing for higher peaks during the heatwave

 

$olid gold wa$te

Wellesley Department of Public Works is going to be stepping up efforts to encourage those who use the Recycling & Disposal Facility to work harder at reducing the amount of solid waste they toss into the bins by reusing and recycling materials instead.

That’s because the price of transporting and disposing of that waste is skyrocketing, in part due to supply chain issues and fuel price costs faced by DPW’s partners.

During the June 30 Board of Public Works meeting, DPW Director Dave Cohen told the board that the department only got one proposal for its new five-year solid waste transport and disposal contract, even though about a dozen parties initially expressed interest.

The town will stick with current vendor Waste Management, but will get charged $112 per ton to start vs. the current $87.25.

“Just a dramatic increase that we’re going to have to find a way to make work,” Cohen said. “One of the ways we’re going to try to find to make it work is to really emphasize to people that we need to reduce waste…this is expensive, it’s going to cost people more.”

The vendor’s costs are rising due to supply chain issues and rising costs associated with the equipment it needs for hauling and disposal—plus high fuel prices.

Board member Jeff Wechsler raised the point of such services going up because of fewer out-of-state options for disposal of Massachusetts trash. Fortunately for Wellesley, its waste goes to Fitchburg, Mass., via Waste Management and the company has that deal locked in through 2030, a bit beyond Wellesley’s contract.

“Escalators and dee-scalators” in the contract could give the town relief if diesel fuel prices go down.

Track your water use with new online tool

Wellesley’s Department of Public Works Water Division has rolled out a Water Customer Portal designed to help customers keep track of their water usage and use that data to make changes to their behavior. Activate your account and view historical water use data, track current usage, and maybe event sniff out leaks via emailed updates.

Water conservation is among the ways Wellesley is looking to reduce its carbon footprint given that pumping, heating, and treating water burns energy.

DPW Director Cohen walked through how the portal works at the July 12 Board of Public Works meeting (about 1-hour mark of Wellesley Media recording).

water portal

 


swellesley green ad

print

Filed Under: Environment, Government

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Linden Square, Wellesley
Riverbend, Natick

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square, Wellesley Merchants
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Beacon Hill Athletic Club, Wellesley
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Mature Caregivers
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Sign up now for summer camp in Wellesley (and beyond)
  • Letters-to-the-editor day in Wellesley—important election-time updates
  • Wellesley business buzz: Board business liaison phased out; Help ID top business leaders of color; Hospital taps new president
  • Wellesley Cotillion makes a strong comeback
  • Business buzz: Nantucket wine bar to boast Wasik's cheeses; Needham Bank has new Wellesley branch manager; Thanks to new sponsor Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs

Upcoming Events

Jan 26
9:00 am - 10:30 am

Select Board office hours—in-person or online

Jan 31
9:00 am - 11:00 am Recurring

Coffee and Conversation with the Wetlands Administrator and Staff

Jan 31
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Families Eat Together online presentation

Feb 1
11:59 pm

Deadline for Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club grants application

Feb 3
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sara Campbell winter warehouse sale

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • LADY WELLESLEY on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Peggy Heffernan on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Beth Dublin on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Erika on Where to buy the Wellesleyest stuff in Wellesley
  • Alice Roy on Inside Track has jewel of a Wellesley engagement scoop

Links we like

  • Danny's Place
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • 2023 Town Election (2)
  • Animals (428)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (592)
  • Beyond Wellesley (52)
  • Books (376)
  • Business (1,556)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (53)
  • Churches (82)
  • Clubs (236)
  • Construction (300)
  • Dump (130)
  • Education (3,189)
    • Babson College (252)
    • Bates Elementary School (18)
    • Dana Hall School (36)
    • Fiske Elementary School (11)
    • Hardy Elementary School (47)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (46)
    • MassBay (57)
    • Schofield Elementary School (26)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (613)
    • Wellesley High School (996)
    • Wellesley Middle School (204)
  • Embracing diversity (84)
  • Entertainment (814)
  • Environment (772)
  • Fashion (144)
  • Finance (15)
  • Fire (173)
  • Food (358)
  • Fundraising (641)
  • Gardens (164)
  • Government (604)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (15)
  • Health (866)
    • COVID-19 (203)
  • Hikes (6)
  • History (399)
  • Holidays (440)
  • Houses (162)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (867)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (10)
  • Letters to the Editor (71)
  • Media (72)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (13)
  • Morses Pond (109)
  • Music (579)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (280)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (86)
  • Outdoors (655)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (778)
    • Crime (395)
  • Politics (554)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (344)
  • Religion (138)
  • Restaurants (340)
  • Safety (155)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (127)
  • Shopping (163)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (1,012)
    • Athlete of the Week (12)
  • STEM (108)
  • Technology (165)
  • Theatre (397)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (240)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,244)
  • Volunteering (350)
  • Weather (179)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (280)
  • Wellesley Holiday Gift Guide (2)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (20)

© 2023 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login