HomeMy WebLinkAbout03042013 Sewer Planning Work Group Minutes
Sewer Planning Work Group
March 4, 2013
1 pm to 4 pm
Town Building Conference Room
14 Broad Street
NOTES
Attending: Nancy Wheatley, Charlie Stott, Bob Williams, Steve Anderson, Dual McIntyre, Rick
Atherton, Kara Buzanoski.
W&C: Helen Gordon, Tom Hazlett
1) Call to Order
2) Update to CWMP – how is it different from 2004
Helen – 2004 CWMP history:
Town made commitment when TMDLs were done to update CWMP
Zoning changes made – changed needs areas
2nd dwelling – much less than 2004
Assumption of 69% in 2004 - is actually ~15%
History – W&C hired to design Madaket WWTP, actually wanted FAA to know
town was serious about purchasing the FAA land. At wastewater meetings – after
3 of 5 meetings, it became clear that CWMP needed to be upgraded. TMDL’s are
required by the Safe Drinking Water Act at the Federal level. TMDL levels are
set by EPA area by area. W&C will look at all possible inputs and create program
to reduce pollutants to TMDL levels
NANCY – No magic way to fix everything, so we affect what we can. 10 years from
now this will be reviewed again. Compliance is based on study
Dual Is there any Enforcement possibility?
Helen-Through DEP and ACO
It’s the right to do for the environment.
NANCY – Sewering is important, but we need to look at areas that will always be septic.
Nitrogen systems – don’t work seasonally. We need to look at how to deal with septics.
Study may say it’s OK to leave these on septic, but town needs to look at the aesthetics of
these systems.
DUAL – How do you take complex issues and make it understandable to the lay person?
Communication plan will be critical.
TOM HAZLETT – if SPWG isn’t supporting the plan then W&C hasn’t done its job.
DUAL – What is the time frame regarding enforcement by DEP?
TOM HAZLETT – None, we are ahead of the curve and we want to stay there.
NANCY – Another piece with sewer districts last time was that progression into new
areas didn’t happen because of cost.
Consider how we regulate who is and isn’t in district.
We have opportunity to get resources from developers, but time can expire.
3) Criteria for Engineering
From the 2/22/13 W&C memo
Helen – 3 major impacts
1) Changes to zoning
2) Refined 2nd dwellings
3) TMDL
Capacity – not available yet for WWTP
Study areas and sewer districts are not the same.
NANCY – what is assumed for flows?
Helen – number based on actual lots that are not presently sewered. The flows are an
addition to the present flow to the WWTP. W&C has mapped the properties that are
billed sewer. DPW is correlating the list of parcels from the map with sewer permits and
GIS.
KARA – So far we are up to Madaket Road and have found 100 parcels that are not being
billed that are connected to sewer. Assuming that an average yearly bill is $1200 that
would be $120,000 per year.
Helen- And that would also be 100 houses times an average flow that we don’t have to
find capacity for because they are already connected.
NANCY – 30% unsewered?
Helen – no, still working on, but it will be less due to the map work town is doing.
Helen – The flows in the memo are new flows that would be added to the existing
WWTP flows.
RICK – Definitions as to what are criteria for developing flows
Last time - properties, number of lots
Easier for public to understand lots
We should get Excel spreadsheet of lots
TOM HAZLETT – formula from 2004 to now is the same.
NANCY – we are all about properties.
Gallons hard are to understand.
DUAL – Has a reality check been done?
TOM HAZLETT –Yes, comparisons made from 2004 to now are 363 vs. 324 gallons per
day/unit. Which is comparable.
RICK – Are there tables available for daily flows at the WWTP?
KARA – Yes
4) Surfside WWTP
Helen-3.5 million gallons max day permit limit
Treatment capacity is a different number
TOM HAZLETT – MA Ocean Sanctuaries Act requires no ocean outfalls.
When W&C estimates the existing and proposed flows if they are equal or below 3.5 mg
that will be good. If they are not then we will have to look at more infiltration or WWTP
expansion for more treatment.
NANCY – What we should be evaluating?
Look at maximum number of connections we can accommodate.
TOM HAZLETT – What W&C is doing now:
Hydraulic capacity will be checked,
Finding possible bottleneck or weak links,
And Look at treatment capacities.
Bob – Do you have a capacity number?
Helen – not yet. We need to know if study areas became needs areas
NANCY – DEP will make requirements and SPWG needs to decide how to maintain
town’s aesthetics.
DUAL – is there anything we can do now?
Helen – Support the fertilizer regs now.
RICK – Any Stormwater?
Helen- That is something that will need additional study. There hasn’t been much data
available from the previous consultant.
Next meeting March 11, 2 pm to go over the minutes for this meeting.
Town & Enterprise fund budget discussion for next meeting on April 5, 9am-noon)
Nancy- we should think about how to accommodate a $100 million capital plan which
will be a result of this CWMP process.
Process for approval of CWMP:
1) Plan
2) ATM approval
3) DEP
4) MEPA
5) Capital plan implementation - ATM
Meeting adjourned at 3:30pm.
Respectfully submitted
Kara Buzanoski