Eastham WRAB-WWMPC
Minutes of meeting of 4/26/06
police station meeting room
Present were Chair Weiss, Co-chair Whitmore, members Lightfoot, Sullivan, Boelitz, Nugent and Bayne, Health Agent Crowley, and Stan Holt, Russ Sandblom, Bob Smith, and Nancy Munger.
Minutes of the meeting of 3/13/06 were approved as written.
The next meeting will be on May 24.
Minutes were distributed from the joint meeting of the Wellfleet Water Commissioners and the WRAB on 3/16/06.
Weiss reported that he had met with Truro Water Commissioner Kevin Kuechler, who wished to know about the well water testing Eastham does. Truro’s representative to the Provincetown water district, Fred Schlipp, will meet with Crowley re the regional water supply planning grant.
Crowley reported that the Outer Cape Water Management Project has published an RFP. The work will be supervised by a committee composed of reps from each of the relevant towns: Eastham, Orleans, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. She reported that Quink of DEP called her to express his enthusiasm about this project.
(RFP on file.)
Bayne reported that the Eastham Pond Stewards have begun their 2006 sampling program, and will be the recipients of some additional services from the CCC this year over and above those to be provided by last year’s grant. This will occur because the AOD has provided an additional $50,000 for the PALS program.
She will draft a letter of thanks from the WRAB-WWMPC to the pond samplers and access/boat providers.
Whitmore reported that the WWMP contract subcommittee had chosen Sterns and Wheler to conduct the waste water study, but the Town will provide only $35,000 at the most for this study. S & W. stated they cannot begin until the MEP program report comes in during the 4th quarter of 2006, and that the budget could allow them to:
1. Do initial project planning, which would be comprised of a.) a plan of study and b.) coordination with MEP.
2. Estimate waste water flow volume by collecting existing data and reviewing it.
3. Evaluate treatment needs, which task is comprised of a.) developing future waste water projections and needs and 2.) producing a treatment needs report.
S & W warned that the plan for Town Cove will require regional cooperation with Orleans.
They will submit a reduced scope of work which can be implemented by end of 2006.
Whitmore and Bayne will attend the May 25 presentation of MEP report on Pleasant Bay in order to understand what may be required of Eastham.
(Meeting summary on file.)
Re limited public water supply plan:
Environmental Partners reported to the Town at a meeting Weiss attended that recent pumping tests showed no draw down of vernal pools in District H when pumped at 100,000 gpd, and that they felt the site might support 300-500,000 gpd safely.
Too, the regional school committee has voted to allow Eastham to utilize the school district well at the high school.
E.P. will test Roach property, with the hope that a small (perhaps 100,000 gpd) well could be installed there.
E.P. will look again at District G by testing WQ at the stump dump.
Within one month or so the Town can expect a more detailed report from E.P. on these projects.
Boelitz recommended that the board restrict its public comments to the facts which have been established about public health and water issues, and refrain from commenting on the financial aspects of water supply, about which the board has no expertise, and refrain from promoting a specific solution to the problem of water supply. Further, he feels the board should: promote the purchase of land which we can expect to provide well protection, plan for waste water management, and insist on compliance with the well testing program.
Crowley reported that the annual water testing program has achieved a 56 % response level for area 1, North Eastham. Of the 1044 samples analyzed, 33 wells exceeded 10 ppm of nitrate. (Report on file.)
For those who did not submit a sample, a reminder was sent. The response to that recent reminder has been the submission of approximately 70 samples per week. Without the inclusion of the results from those wells which were tested privately or which were tested as required for real estate transfers or rentals, the compliance rate for North Eastham is exceeding the 2005 rate. The board revisited the idea of a strongly worded letter to be sent with tax bills or with the vials, the intent of which is to increase compliance. Crowley will bring the wording she currently uses to the May meeting for the board’s review. BOH member Holt would like to publicize the issue on radio and in newspapers rather than send a letter.
Submitted by Sandy Bayne, Clerk
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