Minutes of 06/21/04 Meeting
Eastham Water Resources Advisory Board
Attending were Chair Weiss, members Stan Holt, Bruce Whitmore, Bill Nugent, Marcel Boelitz, Muriel Lightfoot and Sandy Bayne, and Jane Crowley, Health Agent.
Minutes of 05/03/04 were unanimously accepted as written.
The USGS Outer Cape groundwater flow study report (#2004-5014) was discussed.
Weiss reported that Town Administrator Vanderhoef would favor two public wells, one on the Roach property, and one near 325 Schoolhouse Rd., where vinyl chloride has been found in a private well. Crowley explained that because this contaminant is commonly found in landfills, the study currently being conducted by Bennett and O’Reilly may name the Town as the source, and The Town may be required to establish a public well for the area. Two hundred and thirty seven home owners were asked to participate in the study, which would require having well water tested; 124 chose to do so. One additional contaminated well was found in that sample.
Holt, a member of the Board of Health, asked that the WRAB propose remediation of nitrogen spources.
Crowley reported that the current response to the well testing mailing is about 54%. Holt was asked whether the BOH can require well testing, perhaps every three years. Crowley is not in favor of such a rule; she felt it may not be legal, and questioned what use the Town would make of the results of such testing. WRAB members felt no site specific response would occur, but useful planning information would be supplied.
Crowley reported that the BOH now has an employee working part time on the well testing records. She also mentioned that 115 of the tests are second year tests. This summer kits will be mailed to area three, south Eastham.
WRAB members agreed education is the way to go on all water quality issues. Weiss will invite Gussie McKusick of Orleans Waste Water Management Committee to the next meeting to discuss Orleans’ completed study of nitrogen loading.
Regarding the Roach property, Weiss reiterated recent developments:
TM had voted this year to allow plans to be submitted for 18 buildings on the property.
Jim Taylor of WWMC, Fred Fenlon and Weiss have discussed the concept of a communal tertiary treatment septage plant there; however, it appears the tertiary treatment costs would require the developer build more units or receive a subsidy from some source, perhaps the Town. The Town may be willing to do this. Boelitz asked whether the communal water supply, also planned, would be public or private, and what the implications of each would be.
The Board agreed unanimously to support the exploration of the possibility of a communal waste water treatment system which would reduce nitrate loading, and to support a public well at the Roach site.
The Board agreed that water protective preventive measures, such as education, should be taken immediately. Lightfoot and Holt will work on an outline of a public educational presentation which members can make to town groups.
Regarding a public water supply strategy, Weiss suggested that:
The USGS info demonstrates that the 13 possible small wells running simultaneously would supply less than 1 million gpd. District H is almost irrelevant as a water supply because draw down there would eliminate vernal pools; at most, 100,000 gpd could be pumped. Total from all sources might be 600,000 per day.
He reminded the Board that the meeting with the Orleans water board proved them to be open to the idea of up to a 1million gpd sale of water to Eastham if the question of the effect of interlens transfer could be resolved.
Too, Nancy Finley, resources manager of the Seashore had agreed Eastham could do a test in the Seashore to see if an area there could be capable of yielding l million gpd. There may be such a parcel in an area east of District H. Weiss pointed out that the concept of community water needs wasn’t considered in the early 1960’s when the Seashore was founded, and that mining rights have been granted on federal lands all over the country; the time may be right for the Town to push the idea with the Seashore.
The Board agreed unanimously to propose the Selectmen ask the Cape Cod Commission and the USGS to do calculations for the exchange of water between aquifers, specifically between the Orleans and Nauset lenses. Crowley suggested the request might be better received if made in conjunction with waste water management issues; the grant for the USGS study was given through the Cape-wide WIC.
For Windmill Weekend, Sept. 11-12, the Board will produce nitrate testing maps and demonstrate pond sampling equipment at a booth.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:30.
Sandy Bayne, Clerk
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