Nov.
20, 2003
Eastham Water Resources Advisory Board
Minutes of 11/10/03 Meeting
Attending:
Members Karl Weiss (Chair), Marcel Boelitz, Stan Holt, Bruce Whitmore, Bill Nugent, Jane Crowley (Health Agent), Mere Ours (2003 Americorp intern), Courtney Grundmayer (2004 Americorp intern), and Sandy Bayne (clerk).
The minutes of 9/8/03 were approved unanimously with two amendments:
Boelitz corrected a statement attributed to him regarding a theory proposed by John Colman, USGS. The amended minutes will read, “Marcel Boelitz stated that ‘According to Dr.Colman, the National Seashore visitor center septic system is contributing to the pollution plume in Salt Pond.’ In addition, a typo was corrected.
Weiss reported that the pre-proposal for Barnstable County water study grant money was submitted in time. He has recently been told informally by Tom Cambereri of the Cape Cod Commission that the Eastham proposal is unlikely to be funded because there is doubt the work could be completed in the time proposed. Cambereri mentioned that it is possible the proposed work would be able to be folded into the USGS work which will be funded by the County. Weiss will discuss this conversation with John Colman of the USGS because it is his modeling work the grant would have funded.
Jane Crowley introduced Courtney Grundmayer, the new Americorp intern for the Board of Health. Mere Ours, the out-going Americorp intern reported on the work she has completed for the volunteer well sampling program. Crowley reported that Ours will present her work to the Selectmen on Nov. 19 sometime after 2:30; the presentation will include her review of alternate septic systems, a description of the well testing program which when complete will give the town a ten year view of well water quality issues, and the fact that she had continued that project started by her predecessor Julia Olszewski.
She has, in year two of the study (fiscal 2004), mailed out 1800 bottles to residents of North Eastham, and plans to mail out 269 more bottles. Residents have returned 440 water samples, a 24.4 % return. As of this date, 60 reports have been received from the County Lab.
She is, in addition, following up on last year’s phase one, during which Julia mailed 1757 bottles, and had about a 50% return. She has sent reminder cards to all year round residents and to about half of the part time residents; the balance of the part time resident reminders will go out in March or April. So far, the reminders have generated 26 samples, and have stimulated some additional homeowners to submit samples privately for nitrate sampling. The plan for fiscal 2005, year three, is to distribute 1700 bottles.
Board members discussed the return rate. Boelitz felt the Board of Health will need to do something to increase the return rate if it doesn’t improve. Holt volunteered to do calculations which will determine what degree of faith the town can have in the return rate of 50%. He also can stratify the results into those of full time and part time residents. It was also agreed a rate of 85 % would be adequate. Weiss reported concerns from the Eastham Part Time Residents Taxpayers Association, on whose board he sits. Some EPTRTA members are questioning the confidentiality of the test results, and are fearful of punitive results from the Town were bad reports to be identified by homeowner. Crowley explained that she tries to encourage people who talk with her about relatively high nitrogen levels (5 ppm or more) to be
concerned, to retest because sometimes results are unrepresentative, and to investigate solutions if the results continue high. She doesn’t plan to shut down wells.
Holt reiterated that the WRAB had promised Town Meeting that the results would not be identified by homeowner, but would be used in an anonymous way to identify trends. He feels the WRAB is going beyond that. Crowley stated that 99% of homeowners are positive about the process; she feels this is a service the Town is offering. Weiss commented that the Board of Health is the administrator of the study and that Crowley is acting responsibly. Further, the results of this study are in the data base but not in property files; however, data from other sources are in the homeowners’ files.
The WRAB reviewed the letter which Crowley’s office will send out; it was suggested the letter make a statement similar to the following: If your results show more than (a certain level of nitrogen), the Board of Health would be happy to talk with you about solutions.
After discussing the well testing program progress, Crowley asked if and when a report will be made to the public. Bruce Whitmore stated that the Eastham Forum will be presenting a program on water issues in March or April of 2004. This forum would include a report on the well testing program. The board felt this is an appropriate venue for a public report. Weiss suggested a newspaper article be written as well.
The Board thanked Mere for the good work she had done, and welcomed Courtney, who will continue the well testing program.
Sandy Bayne reported that the Eastham Pond Stewards are concerned that the pond sampling results for 2001 -2003 indicate poor water quality in Minister’s Pond. She has discussed these results with Ed Eichner of the Cape Cod Commission, who has suggested the matter be brought to the Selectmen. She distributed graphs which depict dissolved oxygen and Secchi depth for Minister’s Pond in 2002 and 2003, and which compare these to the measurements in a pond with good water quality, Jemima. Board members expressed concern, and Weiss volunteered to invite Henry Lind to the next WRAB meeting to discuss the situation and to advise the Board. Holt suggested one additional late fall sampling to determine if the pond’s dissolved oxygen and clarity have recovered. Bill Nugent mentioned that the state is considering
banning phosphates in dishwasher detergents; Bayne stated that a combined Mass. House and Senate committee has been taking testimony on that subject, and will likely propose a bill. She will determine where and when additional letters may be sent. Bayne was asked to prepare charts showing the phosphorus levels of Minister’s versus other Eastham ponds. Holt suggested the Board determine remediation steps which it can offer to people concerned about pond water quality. He suggested further that perhaps the Board can take on a pond as a model and attempt to increase its water quality over several years.
Whitmore mentioned that he’s learned well drillers have a wealth of practical knowledge and observations from which the Board could benefit. Ron Peterson, well driller, will be invited to talk with the Board at the next meeting.
Weiss distributed a memo from Ken Ainsworth of the Critical Planning Committee in which he states that if water is a public resource, then polluters ought to pay for damaging it. Weiss suggested board members read it for possible discussion at a future meeting.
The Dec. WRAB meeting was moved to Dec. 8 (3 pm. at the police station meeting room) so that Chair Weiss could attend. The meeting was adjourned at 5:15.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandy Bayne, Clerk
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