Water Resources Advisory Board -Waste Water Management Committee
Minutes of meeting of 4/10/07
Present were Chair Weiss, Co-Chair Whitmore, members Boelitz, Sullivan, Nugent, Sandler, Olthof and Bayne, Health Agent Crowley, and Selectman McDonald.
Minutes of 12/12/06, 2/13/07, and 3/13/07 were approved with an amendment to the minutes of 3/13 to read: “Robert Rich, Chairman of the Orleans Water Commissioners”.
Crowley described the recent Board of Health sponsored workshop on the municipal water proposal. The Board of Health did not vote on whether to support the article at town meeting.
McDonald provided the group with a copy of the municipal water article, which the boards reviewed. The joint boards voted 8-0 to support the article. Members urged McDonald to request that a presentation be made at Town Meeting, as this is the most expensive, the most extensive, and the most complex article the town has ever voted on. Bayne reported that Town Moderator Pelletier is open to requests for presentation time.
Bayne reported that Cape Cod Commission water scientist Ed Eichner has sent a memo laying out recommendations for 2007 pond sampling protocol. While he felt that the data thus far accumulated (2001-2006) is sufficient for him to begin interpreting the nutrient state of 9 ponds, he recommended maintenance sampling of twice per season for these ponds, more extensive sampling of Bridge Pond as the sampling had been curtailed there, and sampling several ponds hitherto not sampled. Board members expressed the opinion that unless there is a specific reason in the case of a specific pond, we won’t gain much additional practical knowledge from expanding the program. Rather, they felt we should begin to move forward with education and assisting in the formation of homeowners’ associations, and be ready to publicize our
work and Eichner’s final report when it is published in late summer.
Bayne mentioned that the first opportunity to act on pond protection is the bill currently proposed in the state legislature which would eliminate phosphorus in dish washer detergent; this bill needs support at the state house. Letters and e-mails may be sent to Senator Pam Resor and Rep. Frank Smizik, whose mailing info may be found at www.mass.gov/legis.
The second opportunity will be article 38 (the last article) in this year’s Town Meeting warrant, which provides funding for the on-going pond studies to be used for equipment and sample analysis. Town Meeting occurs on May 7 at 7 p.m.
Next meeting will occur 5/8/07.
Submitted by Sandy Bayne, clerk
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