by Paula Jackson
This article was published in the winter 2025-26 issue of our newsletter.
The Town of Killington is currently developing Vermont’s newest municipal drinking water system after the discovery of PFAS in a number of wells.
In 2019, the State of Vermont required all public water systems to sample and monitor for PFAS after discovering widespread contamination in Bennington and North Bennington.
During this sampling period, it was found that there was PFAS contamination at several public water systems along Killington Road. These included condo associations, hotels, and a school. All of these water systems had groundwater sources, so it is suspected that the local aquifer is contaminated with PFAS.
Abbie Sherman, Killington’s former public works director, and water operator Brian Heaton at Killington’s new 750,000-gallon water storage tank.
In 2022, the Town of Killington assumed the responsibility of creating a municipal water system that will provide safe and reliable drinking water to homes and businesses that had PFAS contamination in their wells, and allow other businesses and private residents to connect. The new water system will have fire hydrants, something Killington hasn’t had before, so improved fire protection is an added benefit of the project.
Construction began on the new water system this summer. The town has drilled three wells that will be the water sources. Sampling found no detections of PFAS in the new wells.
They have the capacity to pump 1.8 MGD to a pump station located on Route 4 Flats. The water will then be pumped to two water storage tanks on Shagback Mountain, which will gravity feed the water system.
The first service connection is expected in the spring of 2026 while the remaining portion of the water system will be contracted out to finish water lines and service connections. The water system is projecting 770 service connections to begin with, and more will be added in time.
Abbie Sherman and Brian Heaton at one of the newly developed wells.
Abbie Sherman was Killington’s Public Works Director when the town began planning the water system. She was the project manager and assisted in the procurement of funding. Abbie is a lifelong Vermonter who has two decades of experience as a municipal leader and in economic development. The Killington water system has been set in motion thanks to her perseverance and hard work. Abbie has recently taken on a new project as the first Director of Economic Development in Woodstock, Vermont.
Brian Heaton is the newly hired water system operator. Brian came to Killington from Lyme, Connecticut. He started in the water resources field as a distribution technician, working on meters, backflow testing, and cross connection surveys. Brian earned a Water Management Certificate from Connecticut State Community College and is now working on his Associate’s degree in Public Utility Management.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $43 million, with $32 million for construction costs. It is funded through a combination of sources, including tax increment financing (TIF), funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), DWSRF loans, a Catalyst Program grant from the Northern Borders Regional Commission, and USDA Rural Development financing.
The water system is a major component of the “Killington Forward” initiative. The new water system will allow for growth and economic development, including new workforce housing and commercial properties. The water system will also provide drinking water for the proposed Six Peaks Ski Village that has been in the planning process for the last 30 years.
Vermont has seen few new municipal community water systems developed in recent decades. This project replaces a number of privately owned public water systems—including neighborhood CWSs, TNCs, and NTNCs—with a single municipal system. While the circumstances that led to this opportunity might not arise in other Vermont communities, it is exciting to watch it unfold in Killington.