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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFrequentlyAskedQuestions 073117Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 1 As of July 31, 2017 Project Area Questions 1. What areas are included in the Nantucket Harbor Shimmo (NHS) & Plus Parcels sewer system expansion? As voted at the April 2, 2016 Town Meeting, this sewer project includes the following Needs Areas from the 2014 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Update: · Nantucket Harbor Shimmo (formerly identified as "Monomoy" in the CWMP)* · "Plus" parcels* (various areas that are within or directly abut the Town Sewer District that had been unintentionally left out of the District) (these areas have nothing to do with the "PLUS" department). *(See map attached on the last page of this Handout that details these geographic areas) 2. Will the properties shown on the map be required to connect to the new sewer system? Only those property addresses listed on the project website (www.nantucket-ma.gov/NHS-Plus- Sewer ) are currently allowed (and required) to tie-in to the new sewer system. Project Cost Questions 3. What is the projected cost of the Project? The total cost will not be known until project completion; however, the current appropriation for the project is $41,000,000, as approved by voters in 2016. The total project cost will be within the appropriation and as the Town moves forward through construction these costs will be further refined. It was decided at the 2016 Town Meeting that the capital cost recovery of the project is to be paid through the general tax base (all taxpayers). Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 2 As of July 31, 2017 4. What is the projected cost to property owners for connecting to the sewer? Property owners will be responsible for the following costs in addition to their tax bill: Description of Property Owner Cost/ Fee Component Approximate Cost/Fee (per dwelling) Building Connection Costs a ranges from as low as $5,000 to as high as $30,000 or more Sewer Connection Fee b $500 or $2,000 Privilege Fee c $6,322.15 Grinder Pump Fee d $500 or $1,500 a. Building Connection Costs: Costs associated with the construction of the sewer service piping from the existing building to the sewer service connection located at the edge of the right-of-way (including decommissioning of the existing septic system to meet Board of Health requirements). The cost of on- lot service connections will vary significantly, depending upon the distance of the dwelling to the sewer service connection located in the travelled way, the type of service to be installed (gravity vs. low- pressure), and the extent of landscaping and surface restoration needed on the property. It is anticipated that these costs may range from as low as $5,000 to as high as $30,000 or more, depending upon the above circumstances. b. Sewer Connection Fee: $2,000 per connection permitted by the Town. Sewer connections made within 2-years of sewer availability, will be charged a reduced sewer service connection fee of $500. c. Privilege Fee — $6,322.15 per connection permitted by the Town to cover the share of costs associated with previous infrastructure improvements needed to upgrade the Surfside WWTF to accommodate these areas to be served by sewer with this project. d. Grinder Pump Fee – For those properties that require a low-pressure sewer connection, the Town will provide the grinder pump to the homeowner at a cost of $1,500. For those properties with I/A septic systems that require a low-pressure sewer connection, the Town will provide the grinder pump to the homeowner at a cost of $500. 5. Can any one of these Fees be paid over time? This privilege fee may be paid in full up front or may be apportioned over time on the property owner’s tax bill. If paying over time, the owner must pay at least 10% of the fee up front and sign a Voluntary Lien Agreement which gets recorded at the Registry of Deeds. The remaining amount is repaid in annual installments at a rate of 4.414%, for a period not to exceed twenty years. The connection fee and grinder pump fees must be paid up front. The decommissioning of the septic system and associated costs are paid through a private contractor hired by the homeowner to perform this work. Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 3 As of July 31, 2017 6. Has there been any discussion or consideration of waiving the Privilege Fee? Yes. The privilege fee was established as of April 24, 2005 and is intended to offset the costs of the 2005/2006 upgrades to the Surfside Wastewater Treatment Facility, which were made in conjunction with the need for increased capacity at the facility to accommodate the connection of additional properties to the tributary sewer system. The only type of privilege fee waiver that has previously been granted by the Board of Selectmen is for an affordable housing dwelling(s). 7. What is a typical sewer user fee and how is it calculated? Sewer user fees are assessed to all connected properties to cover the annual cost of operating and maintaining the Town sewer system and Wastewater Treatment Facilities. Individual user fees are based on water use and are billed quarterly. Currently this fee averages approximately $1,200 per year for a typical single family residential home. For properties with private water (a well), there is a fixed sewer user fee of $225.75 per quarter for dwellings with up to 3 bedrooms and $376.48 per quarter for dwellings with over 3 bedrooms. Questions about Connecting to the Sewer 8. What is the process for connecting to the new sewer? (See also Homeowner Sewer Connection Process Flow Chart) a. Property owners must complete a Sewer Connection Permit Application (available from the Sewer Department). o Property owners should select a Licensed Excavation Contractor from the list available from the Sewer Department. The selected contractor can also assist with the permit application process. o As part of the application, a plot plan of the proposed connection including size and location of the proposed sewer line must be submitted. The plot plan must be stamped by a licensed engineer or surveyor. o In conjunction with the application, property owners must pay all associated fees, including sewer service connection fee and sewer privilege fee. o Where multiple buildings exist on one property, each dwelling will require a separate Sewer Connection Permit and Privilege fee. b. Upon payment of fees and issuance of the sewer connection permit, the Contractor should be scheduled to complete the installation of the sewer service connection from the existing connection stub at the edge of the right-of-way to the existing dwelling. c. Upon completion of the installation of the sewer service connection, an as-built drawing of the final installation of the sewer service system shall be provided by the Contractor to the Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 4 As of July 31, 2017 Sewer Department. The as-built drawing must be stamped by a licensed engineer or land surveyor. The Town will inspect the sewer service connection work. d. Once the new sewer service connection is constructed and has been inspected by the Town, the Contractor may decommission the existing dwelling’s septic system in accordance with Town of Nantucket Board of Health requirements that can be found at: http://nantucket- ma.gov/712/Septic-Licenses-and-Permits. 9. Can property owners begin designing their on-lot sewer connection work before the mainline sewer is installed/ready for use? Yes. 10. Where does the street sewer stub for connection need to be located? Prior to construction of the new sewer system in the right-of-way, building connection forms will be mailed to all properties to be connected, giving property owners an opportunity to provide input on the preferred location of their connection stub(s) and to provide elevation information that will help to determine the type of connection required (gravity vs. low pressure/grinder pump) for each dwelling/building. Property owners are encouraged to seek assistance from their plumber or a local contractor to properly complete the form. In addition, the Town’s engineering consultant for this project, Weston & Sampson Engineers, will be available at no cost to property owners for an on-site appointment regarding their building connection location. 11. Who installs the service connection and, if required, the grinder pumps? The Sewer Department will make available to homeowners a list of licensed drain layers (contractors) to install the sewer connections and any appurtenances, including grinder pumps. 12. What are the timeframe requirements to tie into the new sewer system? Upon substantial completion of construction, property owners that are to connect to the new sewer will be notified via a letter from the Town that the system is officially approved for use and ready for connection. Property owners will normally have two years from the date of this notification to connect their existing building(s) to the municipal sewer, with the exception that properties with an approved innovative/alternative (I/A) septic system have up to 10 years from the date of installation of the I/A system to connect to the municipal sewer. Properties in an environmentally sensitive (nitrogen sensitive) area that are not on an I/A system will be required to file a Sewer Connection Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 5 As of July 31, 2017 Permit Application within 6 months of receiving this notification and will have one year following receipt of application approval to complete the installation of their sewer connection. 13. What are the consequences for properties that do not connect within the established timeframes? A $200 per day fine may apply to all property owners that do not connect to the new system within the prescribed period of time. 14. Will property owners need to file for permits for the on-lot connection work? Yes, a Town Sewer Connection Permit will be required and the service installation will be inspected by the Nantucket Sewer Department. Other permits may be required for specific lots if wetlands or other environmental factors apply to their lots. The Sewer Department, the Town’s Engineer for the project, Weston & Sampson, and other town departments may assist property owners in determining what other environmental factors apply to their lots. 15. How many sewer connections will each property receive? Each property owner can request up to two sewer connection stubs. Applicable fees will be assessed on the second connection at time of application for connection. Additional tie-ins will be subject to Town approval and the applicable fees. 16. Will tertiary dwellings be provided a third sewer stub? Most tertiary units are considered ancillary to a dwelling unit and will not require a separate connection. Properties that have more than two existing dwellings may request additional stubs be left in the sewer main and off of the traveled way. If more than two grinder pump units are required for such properties, units over the two per lot will not be discounted. 17. Will mixed use (residential and commercial) structures be treated as one dwelling or building for connection purposes? Buildings with two separate defined uses, such as mixed use units with attached commercial and residential units will generally be treated as two separate units. The Town expects that each unit will require a separate connection permit and will be subject to separate fees. Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 6 As of July 31, 2017 Grinder Pump Questions 18. Who typically needs a grinder pump and how do I know if I need one? Grinder pumps are used to provide sewer service to areas that cannot be serviced by a gravity sewer, typically due to topographic elevation issues. Below are two scenarios where a grinder pump may be needed: · Areas of rolling topography or individual roadways that fall off significantly in elevation are good candidates for grinder pumps and low-pressure sewers. In areas where low-pressure sewers are required to reduce excavation depths, grinder pumps are needed to transfer the flow to the low-pressure sewer mains. · Properties with buildings that are at elevations lower than that of the roadway surface will also likely require a grinder pump, even if there is a gravity sewer main in the roadway. For a preliminary analysis of the homes that will likely require a grinder pump, please visit www.nantucket-ma.gov/NHS-Plus-Sewer to view project maps for your specific area. 19. How do I select a grinder pump? The Town is currently in discussions with several grinder pump manufacturers to supply the grinder pump systems. Once selected the Town will pre-purchase the units and property owners in the low- pressure sewer areas will be notified of the process to obtain the units once the sewer connection permit application has been approved. Property owners will not be permitted to install grinder pumps that are not approved by the Town. 20. Are there any town discounts for the grinder pumps? For existing dwellings with a functioning Title 5 septic system at the time of construction of the new sewer system and requiring a grinder pump to connect to the sewer, the Town has established a policy for supplying the grinder pump unit to the property owner at a discounted rate of $1,500 per pump. A further discounted rate of $500 per pump will be charged for properties that have installed an approved innovative/alternative (I/A) Title 5 system. (Retail costs for these pumps typically vary from $3,500 to $5,000 each.) 21. Where does the pump need to be located, what is the pipe size, and what type of tank will be used? If your property requires a low-pressure sewer connection and grinder pump unit, the grinder pump and integral pump tank (constructed of high-density polyethylene or fiberglass reinforced plastic - Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 7 As of July 31, 2017 sizes vary) are typically installed close to the home, because the pipe feeding wastewater to the grinder pump system from the home must flow by gravity into the grinder pump system. This distance should be minimized, but is typically within 10-feet from the dwelling. A grinder pump will not be permitted to be installed inside a dwelling. Typically, the pipe size from the home to the grinder pump system is 4-inches in diameter and the size of the discharge pipe exiting the grinder pump system is 1-1/2 inches in diameter. 22. Can one grinder pump service multiple parcels? While there are different size pumping systems that may handle multiple parcels, those are not the type of units proposed for this project. For this project, each building with a sewer connection on the property will be required to have a separate grinder pump unit. Up to two (2) grinder pump units per parcel will be provided for existing dwellings at the discounted rate under this project. 23. Can an existing grinder pump be tied into the new sewer system? Re-use of existing installed grinder pumps may be allowed on a case by case basis, only with approval of the Nantucket Sewer Department. Questions about Existing Septic Tanks 24. Why do septic tanks and systems need to be decommissioned or removed? The homeowner will be responsible for decommissioning their existing septic systems to prevent possible safety issues associated with collapses of abandoned systems in the future. Septic tanks will need to be punctured along the bottom and filled with sand, gravel or other fill to allow water infiltration to pass through the tank. Existing PVC pipe-type leach fields can remain abandoned in- place. For those septic systems with infiltration structures, these structures will need to be removed or collapsed in-place as these systems can cause a sink-hole hazard over time as the structure decays. 25. Can homeowners use existing septic tanks for the installation of grinder pump instead of a complete new grinder pump chamber? The reuse of existing septic tanks as part of the sewer connection is not allowed due to condition concerns of existing septic tanks that are subject to failure over time. Grinder pump units will be provided in their own integral enclosure/tank for installation in the ground. Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 8 As of July 31, 2017 26. Once connected to the new sewer system, can a septic system be used for a different purpose such as on-site drainage? Yes. However, any alternate use must meet applicable Town and regulatory requirements. Questions about Existing Innovative/Alternative Septic Systems 27. What are the arrangements for I/A systems? What is the cost to remove and why does an I/A have to be removed? Property owners with Innovative/Alternative (I/A) septic systems, who have entered into an agreement with the Board of Health, have individual timelines for connection to the new sewer system. Property owners without an agreement will be subject to the current sewer regulation requirements for connection to the new sewer. A copy of these regulations can be found at: http://nantucket-ma.gov/251/Sewer-Mains. While I/A systems do provide a higher level of wastewater treatment, like other septic systems, they do not remove all pollutants or excess nutrients prior to discharge to the ground water. Costs to remove I/A systems are dependent on the physical system components, but anticipated to be similar to traditional septic system removal/abandonment. 28. If those property owners who have newer I/A systems choose to wait to connect, will they have to pay the higher connection fee and will they lose the grinder pump discounted rate? Generally, no, they will not lose the grinder pump discounted rate if they connect within two years. However, the property owner will be required to pay the higher sewer connection fee if they wait more than two years to connect. Construction Schedule and Impact Questions 29. Has a Contractor been selected to construct the Project? The construction contract for the project has been awarded to the Contractor, Robert B. Our Company Inc., Harwich, MA. The Engineer overseeing construction of the project on behalf of the Town is Weston & Sampson and the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) for the Town is Hazen and Sawyer. Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 9 As of July 31, 2017 30. What is the projected schedule/timeframe for the Project? · May 15, 2017 Hussey Farm/Meadowview Neighborhood Community Meeting; · May 16, 2017 Bayberry/Tashama/Green Meadows Neighborhood Community Meeting; · May 18, 2017 the project was posted for Bid; · June 14, 2017 Opening of Contractor Bids; · July 22, 2017 Nantucket Shimmo Neighborhood Community Meeting; · July 25, 2017 Construction Contract Awarded; · August 2017 Property owners will be mailed sewer connection questionnaire; · September 18, 2017 Estimated Construction Start; · May 2018 Estimated Construction Contract Substantial Completion; · October 2018 Estimated Construction Contract Final Completion*. *No construction will be allowed during the summer of 2018 (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Construction will continue in the Fall of 2018 until complete. 31. Will the construction be phased to focus on certain project areas in a certain order? Yes, the phasing of the construction will be coordinated to minimize disruption of the affected areas. The Contractor will propose a detailed construction schedule outlining where sewer installation will begin and in what sequence the work will progress. More information on this will be available for the August 9, 2017 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, where the construction phase of the project will be reviewed. 32. Will I have access to my house during construction of the project? Yes, however there may be temporary vehicle access limitations on certain streets during construction. Notification of these limitations will be given in advance whenever possible. The Contractor will be required to close excavations or install steel plates at the end of each construction day to allow traffic to pass after hours. There has been coordination during the design phase of the project with police, fire, emergency and school busing departments and there is a traffic management plan for the project that will be in place during construction along with continued coordination. To keep interested parties updated during construction, mailings and flyers, the Town website and social media sites (i.e. Twitter) will have regular updates on the project’s progress and areas of work. Available information on roadway detours will also be included in these regular updates. Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 10 As of July 31, 2017 33. Where sewers are installed in private roads, will the Town be taking ownership of these roads? No - private roads will remain private. The Town has secured easements to install and maintain sewers within private roadways. 34. Will all roads be paved upon completion of construction? The Town will restore the affected roads but will not change the surface of the road. Unpaved roads will remain unpaved, paved roads will be re-paved to the same width as the pre-existing pavement. 35. Will water service be extended to the project area? This sewer project does not include the extension of water service. If existing water mains are inadvertently impacted during project construction, they will be restored. Property owners should contact Wannacomet Water to inquire about future water main extension in their areas. 36. Will drainage systems in areas with street flooding be fixed? As part of the project, drainage systems and structures within the project area will be cleaned and appurtenances will be repaired (if broken). There are no plans to redesign existing drainage systems. Existing flooding problems will not necessarily be corrected by the sewer project. 37. Will there be impacts to existing utilities (power, cable, telephone, water, etc.) during construction and will the construction contractors be responsible for dealing with impacted utilities? We have been coordinating with utility providers (water, power, communications, etc.) during design and will work with them during construction to limit impacts, but some unforeseen impacts to local service may occur during sewer installation work. Any outages of service will be limited as much as reasonably possible while completing construction activities. Weston & Sampson will ensure that known existing utility locations are marked out on the project design plans in an effort to avoid damage during construction. Also, DIGSAFE will be notified of all work areas as the construction progresses, and known existing utilities will be marked in the field as part of the DIGSAFE process. A representative from the utility locating company, On Target, will be on site or on call during construction. Damage to existing utilities caused by the Contractor constructing the project will be repaired by the Contractor at no additional cost to the Town of Nantucket. Notification of any required Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Page 11 As of July 31, 2017 (planned) outages will be provided in advance to any potentially affected customers. Information on planned outages will be distributed door to door in affected areas. Town of Nantucket Nantucket Harbor Shimmo & Plus Parcels Sewer Project Frequently Asked Questions Glossary of Terms Page 12 As of July 31, 2017 Gravity Sewer System: Gravity sewer systems consist of a large network of underground sewer pipes that rely on gravity (a higher elevation to a lower elevation) to convey wastewater from homes and businesses to a central treatment plant. Low Pressure Sewer System: A low pressure sewer system uses small-diameter pipes and grinder pumps to transmit the flow from a lower elevation to a higher elevation. These low-pressure pipes can be installed in shallower trenches, which is also beneficial for narrow roadway installation. The grinder pump unit, which is installed adjacent to each home, collects all the wastewater from the home and grinds it into slurry to be pushed through the smaller diameter pipe. The wastewater slurry is then pumped to a larger gravity sewer main and eventually to the wastewater treatment plant. Grinder Pump: A grinder pump receives wastewater from a home or business and pumps it into a low- pressure or gravity sewer line. As its name suggests, the grinder pump macerates the solids present in the wastewater to a slurry in the manner of a kitchen sink garbage grinder, and discharges wastewater to the pressure sewer collection pipes. “Hybrid” Sewer System: The proposed sewer system extensions are known as “hybrid systems”, which are similar to the Town’s existing wastewater collection system. The hybrid systems consist of both gravity sewer lines with pump stations and low-pressure sewer lines with individual on-lot grinder pumps for conveyance of wastewater to the Surfside Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF). Privilege Fee: A fee assessed by the Town of Nantucket to all properties that connect to the existing sewer system to cover the share of costs associated with previous infrastructure improvements needed to upgrade the Surfside WWTF to accommodate these areas to be served by sewer with this project. OPM: Owner’s Project Manager. Stub: The portion of each dwelling’s sewer service connection that is constructed by the Town’s contractor in the roads/traveled right-of-way’s. The sewer stub extends from the mainline sewer to the edge of the road/traveled right-of-way and is where each individual property owner’s on-lot sewer connection will connect to from each dwelling. Decommissioning: Abandonment or elimination of (in this case) an existing septic system. Innovative/Alternative (I/A): A type of advanced septic system that includes components to reduce the amount of excess nutrients (typically nitrogen) from wastewater that are discharged to the groundwater. Sewer Service Connection Fee: A fee assessed by the Town for each dwelling that connects to the town sewer, which covers the cost to review the plans for and inspect the installation of each new connection. MEADOW VIEW DRIVESERVICE AREA SHIMMOSERVICE AREA BAYBERRY LANESERVICE AREA GREEN MEADOWSSERVICE AREA TASHAMA-MACLEANSERVICE AREA N A N T U C K E T H A R B O R Milk S t r e e t Ol d S o u t h R o a d P l e a s a n t S t r e e t Monomoy Road Vesp e r L a n e O r a n g e Street Hooper F ar m R o a d D u k e s R o a d Pi n e S t r e e t W a s h i n g t o n S t r e e t HawthorneLane Polpis Road Main St r e et M i l l S t reet S h i m m o PondRoad M ia c o m e t R o a d Ti c c o m a W a y U n i o n S t r e e t FirstWay Surfs i d e R o a d Liberty Street RobertsLane R u g g e d R o a d T r o t t e r L a n e M ia co m et A ve n u e Marsh H a w k L a n e G ard n er R o a d Joy Street S h a w k e m o R o a d FriendshipLane P a r k e r L a n e Fair Gro u n d R o a d S o m e r s e t R o a d Taw p o o t R o a d B r e w ster R o ad B a r tlett Road CatoLane S o u t h V a lle y R oad India Street Sp a r k s A v e n u e V e s t a l S t r e et Backus Lane Amelia D r i v e S cotts W a y Gray Av e n u e MizzenmastRoad Milesto n e R o a d TetawkimmoDrive Ra b b i t R u n R o a d CathcartRoad ³ 0.2 0 0.2 Miles Pa t h : \\ g i s d a t a s r v \ G I S \ D a t a S t o r e \ C l i e n t \ N a n t u c k e t \ P r o j e c t \ 2 1 6 0 4 4 4 _ S h i m m o _ a n d _ P l u s _ S e w e r _ E x t e n s i o n \ R e p o r t F i g u r e s \ F A Q \ F A Q - 1 _ 1 1 x 1 7 . m x d Us e r : o z e r e k o z Sa v e d : 7 / 2 8 / 2 0 1 7 1 2 : 0 3 : 5 9 P M Op e n e d : 7 / 2 8 / 2 0 1 7 2 : 1 9 : 2 0 P M FIGURE FAQ-1 TOWN OF NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTSSHIMMO AND PLUS SEWER EXTENSION PROJECT AREAS JULY 2017 SCALE: NOTED Project BoundariesProject AreaConservation, Town,or State Land Marsh/BogWooded marshSalt Marsh Open WaterTidal FlatsBeach/Dune 1-3