Wastewater Implementation Committee Meeting
Meeting Minutes
For
Town of Harwich
Wastewater Implementation Committee (WIC)
Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.
Attendees:
WIC Members: Peter de Bakker (Chair), Jeremy Gingras, Allin Thompson, Chris Harlow and Heinz Proft.
Others: Michael MacAskill, Dan Pelletier, Charleen Greenhalgh, Noreen Donahue, Ann Howe, Ken Maczko, Shay Maczko, Doug Meyer, Chris Meyer, Sharon Pfleger and S. Wood.
CDM Smith: David Young
Introduction:
The Harwich WIC held a meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at the Harwich town offices to review and discuss issues related to the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP).
A summary of items discussed is provided below in order of the agenda.
Summary of Discussion Items:
- Discuss and approve WIC Minutes dated September 16, 2015.
Minutes of September 16, 2015 were approved unanimously.
- Review CDM Smith invoice.
CDM Smith invoice in amount of $19,309.53 was discussed and approved for processing.
Ann Howe asked if she could review previous invoices and Heinz Proft said he maintains a file and would meet with anyone who wanted to review them.
- Discuss status of East Harwich effluent recharge sites.
David Young distributed a figure showing the location of the two sites being considered for further evaluation: Site 114-S5 owned by the Harwich Water Department off Pleasant Bay Road and Site 52-N1-10/11 owned by the Town of Harwich west of Depot Road. He also distributed two figures for each site based on preliminary hydrogeological modeling: one showing where the applied effluent would travel and the second showing the approximate rise in the groundwater table elevation. He stressed that all this information is preliminary as no on-site field work has been conducted and would need to be done to verify assumptions made in the model. Each site has some issues that would need to be addressed and further detailed evaluations conducted but both also appear to have potential for recharging 300,000 gpd of effluent. Site 114-S5 has a vernal pool in the middle and that impacts the amount of groundwater mounding that can occur. Otherwise site is large, outside any Zone II’s to town wells and appears to have good infiltrating soils. Site 52-N1-10/11 is between two Zones of Contribution to Harwich drinking water wells and the recharge may impact those capture areas. Time of travel to those wells needs further study. Clay lenses which can impact the groundwater flow and infiltration occurs in the soil profiles at facilities in the area. Bottom line is that fieldwork is required at either site in order to make better judgements as to the acceptability of recharging effluent at either of these sites.
Citizen abutter to site 52-N1 wondered how that site had been identified and what the town intended to build there as they were concerned their property value would be impacted by such a facility. Mr. Young briefly explained the site screening process and that most likely an infiltration basin (similar to what is at the Chatham wastewater plant) would be constructed as that took up the minimum amount of area which would provide the greatest treed buffer to any abutters.
Allin Thompson indicated the water commissioners were concerned about Site 52-N1 potentially impacting a town well and the unknown impacts from personal care products (PCPs) and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs).
Peter de Bakker indicated that more study of each site was needed but that the town needs to come up with an effluent recharge site. He reiterated that the town needs a solution since it created the problem.
Ann Howe asked if each site had been checked for endangered flora and fauna. Mr. Young stated the State lists had been checked and nothing was identified except for the vernal pool. She offered to check her sources and report back.
Noreen Donahue wanted to know why the Cranberry Valley golf course had been screened out for recharge. Mr. Young indicated that site was further away in the Saquatucket Watershed and much of the site is also in a Zone II with relatively high groundwater.
Michael MacAskill reminded everyone that no site had been selected by the town yet for recharge effluent from Pleasant Bay. Further study would be needed and funding for that work would need to be approved. He also wondered how far the town would need to go with approving a site at this time based on discussions with Chatham and using their site in the initial years.
WIC members all agreed that a site should be identified for future use if needed and asked David Young to generate a cost for doing the additional study including field work at each site in order to make an appropriate determination of whether the site could be utilized for recharge. Money could be sought at the spring town meeting.
- Discuss potential community partnerships
David Young noted that CDM Smith is also assisting the towns of Dennis and Yarmouth in developing their comprehensive wastewater management plans and that it made sense for each community to at least consider an option with their abutting community. In Harwich’s case instead of building their own treatment plant about 15 years out that they should consider a joint facility with Dennis. The Dennis site proposed for a treatment plant is just down the road from the Harwich DPW site and is located at the Dennis DPW site.
All of the WIC members thought this was an excellent idea and recommended Chairman de Bakker send a letter to the Harwich Selectmen indicating their support and willingness to consider this community partnership concept. No formal decisions need to be made immediately as Dennis is a year away from any decisions and Harwich does not plan to build a treatment plant for 15 or so years.
- Discuss Final CWMP schedule.
David Young indicated that CDM Smith has updated most of the document and it is undergoing final review with the intent to file the Final CWMP in late December or January.
- Discuss WIC recommendation for wastewater governance
Peter de Bakker provided an overview of the Selectmen’s request for the WIC to recommend a governing structure to oversee and implement the wastewater program. He noted that the former Wastewater Implementation Advisory Committee (WIAC) had made recommendations and that the Water Department had hired a consultant to evaluate various structures. Both documents had been forwarded to WIC members.
Noreen Donahue a former WIAC member indicated that committee though a hired project manager could do the job for the first few years since so little infrastructure was being built during that timeframe. However, since then the town has hired a water and wastewater superintendent.
Allin Thompson indicated the water commissioners endorsed a plan to expand the water commissioners to a five person elected board and make it a water and wastewater commission.
Jeremy Gingras indicated he had reviewed all of the material and was convinced that expanding the water commission board to five members and having them take over wastewater was most appropriate. They have done a good job with water and the Selectmen have too many other policy issues to address. Selectmen would still be involved since funding would go to town meeting.
After some additional discussion the following motion was made by Allin Thompson and seconded by Jeremy Gingras and approved unanimously (5-0):
The Wastewater Implementation Committee recommends, that with respect to the organization and implementation of the recommended wastewater program, that the Board of Water Commissioners be expanded to assume all responsibilities associated with wastewater. The WIC recommends that the Board of Water and Wastewater Commissioners should consist of a five member elected Board. In the event any chair cannot be filled, the Board of Selectmen should have the authority by Charter to appoint a representative to the position until the next scheduled election.
- Discuss status of wastewater capital request forms.
Chris Clark had asked David Young to assist with filling out the Capital Outlay Committee (COC) request forms for the wastewater program. He had distributed a summary of the program requests.
Some WIC members questioned the need for the $250,000 request to acquire an effluent recharge site in the Pleasant Bay watershed and wondered whether that should be revised to request money for the fieldwork to study the acceptance of the two sites under consideration.
Noreen Donahue questioned the $2.5 Million request for the first phase of sewer design in East Harwich. She believes that is too early for a referendum on the whole wastewater program. Other wondered whether the town should request design and construction money at the same time.
Michael MacAskill indicated that the Board of Selectmen needed to have discussions on this strategy and when to pursue these various requests.
- Update on Chatham MOU
Michael MacAskill indicated an initial meeting was held and several concepts agreed upon. He felt very positive after the meeting that an agreement will be reach. The town administrators from each community are now drafting the specifics into a draft agreement. Goal is to have an agreement ready to bring to spring town meeting for approval.
- Discuss/ appoint new WIC Chairman
Peter de Bakker expressed a concern that several personal issues where taking his time away from being the WIC chairman and thus offered to see if any other committee members wanted to step into that position. All WIC members praised Peter for the wonderful job he has been doing and offered to try and do more but encouraged him to stay on as chairman. Mr. de Bakker agreed to continue serving as WIC Chairman.
- New/Old/ Other Business
David Young had distributed a sequence of letters from EPA, DEP and the Conservation Law Foundation regarding approval of the 208 Report and summarizing the milestones coming up such as each community must file a plan on how they will meet the TMDL for each watershed they share by June 2016.
An update on the Cold Brook natural nitrogen attenuation project will be provided at the next meeting.
Ann Howe asked whether Harwich should be considering installing more Innovative/ Alternative systems since she believe Chatham has required over 1,100 to be installed. Peter de Bakker indicated that the Board of Health will need to address interim issues for areas recommended for sewering and that issue was outside the WIC responsibilities. David Young offered to contact Bob Duncanson in Chatham to find out more information.
- Future Meeting:
Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 6 pm at the Community Center
Adjourn 11:59 a.m.
The above minutes have been completed from notes taken by CDM Smith.
Distribution: Attendees, WIC Members and Chris Clark
Approved:
Date: ____________________
__________________________
Peter de Bakker, Chair