Wastewater Implementation Committee Meeting

Meeting date: 
Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Meeting Minutes

For

Town of Harwich

Wastewater Implementation Committee (WIC)

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.

Attendees:

WIC Members: Peter de Bakker (Chair), Bob Cafarelli, Chris Harlow, Danette Gonsalves, and Heinz Proft.

Others: Larry Ballantine, Chris Clark, Dan Pelletier, Richard Gunderson and Ann Howe

CDM Smith: David Young

Introduction:

The Harwich WIC held a meeting on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at the Harwich town offices to review and discuss implementation issues related to the CWMP.

 

A summary of items discussed is provided below in order of the agenda.

Summary of Discussion Items:

  1. Discuss and approve WIC Minutes dated June 17, 2015.

Minutes of June 17, 2015 were approved unanimously.

  1. Review CDM Smith invoice

Invoice in amount of $6,478.23 was reviewed and approved for Heinz Proft to process.

Approximately $55,000 remains in the current contract and $75,000 additional was recently approved. This money will be utilized for services to complete the Final CWMP and EIR, refile documents with MEPA and CCC this coming fall and then begin DRI process with CCC.

  1. Discuss Strategy for East Harwich Effluent Recharge Area

Chris Clark distributed an email he received from Town Counsel, Megan Bayer, indicating that a municipal effluent recharge facility would not be permitted in an underlying residentially zoned district within the Six Ponds Special District under current zoning per By-law 325-93. Thus the town would have to apply for a use variance per 325-52 with the Zoning Board of Appeals or would have to amend the Harwich Zoning By-laws in order to site an effluent recharge facility in the residentially zoned area of the Six Ponds District. It would be allowed in the commercially zoned area.

Mr. Clark also noted that the Selectmen have appointed Angelo LaMantia and Mike MacAskill to be the negotiating team with Chatham for the inter-municipal agreement for Harwich to bring wastewater to the Chatham plant.

The question was asked of whether the town actually needs to acquire an effluent recharge site since Chatham appears to have plenty of capacity. David Young reviewed the effluent recharge capacity status at Chatham. The treatment plant is designed to treat 1.1 mgd. The effluent recharge permit is currently for 1.0 mgd due to nitrogen loadings in Cockle Cove and uncertainty if effluent goes to the cove or out into Nantucket Sound. If goes to the sound then they can take significantly more flow to recharge. Ultimately Chatham needs 1.9 mgd to sewer their whole town. Advantageous for them to take Harwich flow in initial years to better track effluent flow since they are currently only at less than 0.2 mgd.

Larry Ballantine indicated that in previous discussion with Chatham they had required Harwich to acquire an effluent recharge site before they would sign an agreement. That may be softening. He encouraged the town to move forward though with acquiring a site since the town has invested funds in evaluating sites and there aren’t many sites available in East Harwich.

Mr. Young then gave an overview of the effluent site screening process utilized and presented in the Draft CWMP to identify potential sites. He reviewed some of the key criteria and noted the importance of not locating a recharge facility in a zone of contribution to a well and desiring to stay close to a 5-yr time of travel to a municipal well if in a Zone II area.

Ann Howe who lives near the site the town recently tried to acquire off of Hawknest Road wondered why the town didn’t look to land it owns off of Depot Street or look to recharge under large parking lots like those at Stop & Shop similar to what Orleans is proposing. David Young pointed out the town owned land off Depot Street is in a zone of contribution to several Harwich wells. Dan Pelletier confirmed that and indicated recharging near municipal wells was a bad idea.

Chris Clark indicated the town needed to be more open in selecting the next potential site and offered to get more town staff involved. He suggested a Task Group be developed to review the process and potential sites available in order to come back with a recommendation. After some discussion it was decided that the Task Group would consist of Chris Clark, Dan Pelletier, Chris Harlow, Ann Howe and David Young.

  1. Discuss results of HCT Cold Brook charrette.

Heinz Proft attended this charrette on behalf of the WIC. He indicated that the proposed plan is focused on removal of peat and sand layers to allow native vegetation to return, to perhaps reroute some of the streams and that the hydraulic grade line is relatively flat across the site allowing saltwater up into the bog system. Their consultant indicated that groundwater flow is the largest flow component into the site. Heinz indicated the increased nitrogen removal was not one of their drivers. He is trying to obtain the presentation given at the charrette.

  1. Review BOS/WIC Community Meeting presentation (June 17th)

Committee briefly discussed the June 17th community meeting. All thought the presentations were very good but wished more people had attended. Most of the attendee focus was on the East Harwich effluent recharge site.

  1. Update on BOS discussion/ approval of Cost Recovery Model

The Selectmen recently voted to endorse use of the three funding mechanisms recommended by the WIC: general tax rate, sewer enterprise account using billings off water use and water infrastructure investment fund. Difference is they didn’t specify percentage for each component so they can maintain flexibility in each of the first three phases. This is good news. Chris Clark is working with town counsel to establish the process and timelines for setting up the sewer enterprise account and the infrastructure fund.

  1. Update on Draft TMDLs

David Young indicated that CDM Smith reviewed the pre-draft TMDLs and that they closely match the MEP reports for nitrogen loadings in those watersheds. Thus, town should move forward with having EPA schedule their Public Hearing and review process.

  1. Update on Chatham MOU

Discussed earlier that BOS has formed a subgroup to negotiate with Chatham and intends to move forward with reaching an agreement.

  1. Discuss CWMP Schedule

Now that the town BOS has endorsed a Cost Recovery Model the Draft CWMP can be updated, previous comments addressed and cost sections added. Need to decide what to state about the East Harwich recharge site but may identify several sites and indicate town is pursuing acquisition of one of them.

Goal is to file the Final CWMP and EIR this fall. Need to determine if BOS will want another community meeting prior to this filing with regulators.

  1. New/Old/ Other Business

Bob Cafarelli indicated the Muddy Creek bridge project will open bids on August 13th with construction starting this fall. Road closures start after Columbus Day.

  1. Future Meeting:

Wednesday, August 26th at 6:00 p.m. (NIGHT MEETING)

Adjourn 11:15 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