Water Resources Advisory Board-Waste Water Management Planning Committee
Minutes of Joint Meeting 3 p.m. 12/19/05
Eastham Police Station
Present were WRAB Chair Weiss and WWMPC Chair Whitmore, members Williams, Wickson, Sullivan, Nugent and Bayne, Health Agent Crowley, and Wellfleet Water Commissioner Jean Schaefer.
The minutes of 11/14/05 were approved as written.
Schaefer was introduced to the members, and gave a brief history of the recently created five member Board of Water Commissioners and the Wellfleet public water system.
Some facts which Schaefer thought might be helpful to Eastham in its deliberations:
The Town of Wellfleet is running three wells, two of which are permitted for 20,000 gpd and one of which is permitted for 100,000 gpd on average, and 250,000 in peak season. These serve both residential and commercial customers, and currently there is a demand for greater capacity.
The precipitating circumstance for one well was a plume of contamination from the landfill, and hook ups in that area are mandatory. In addition, the pier area needed water because of salt water intrusion.
One well was sited in such a way that although there is capacity for pumping 500,000 gpd, the limitations on the zone of contribution prevent that.
A major pipeline was sized at 4”, too small to deliver water from the remote well to town center; an 8” pipe would be required.
The typical hook up fee is $10,000, a figure based on a 3 bedroom house.
Schaefer feels they have been well served by Environmental Partners.
Perhaps most relevant to Eastham is the fact that there are two potential areas for additional wells, one in Wellfleet land completely surrounded by CCNSS, and one in an area currently referred to as Wellfleet-by-the-Sea.
The Water Commission meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays at the Senior Center at either 5 or 7 pm.
Their minutes and agendas can be accessed at www.wellfleetma.org. It was agreed that when Wellfleet’s Water Board agrees on a date and time, the Eastham group will be invited to attend one of their February meetings.
The group agreed to schedule the next WRAB-WWMPC joint meetings on 1/9/06 and 2/6/06 at 3 pm in the police station conference room.
Weiss reported that Gussie McKusick of Orleans, chair of the WIC and involved in Orleans’ water planning, has asked to meet with the boards regarding the estuary project and the potential to sell Orleans’ water to Eastham. Weiss will invite her to the 1/9/06 meeting.
Crowley reported that Environmental Partners will be meeting with the BOS at 4 pm. and again at 7 pm. She reported that the recent activity on the well project had consisted of visits to the potential sites in District H and an informal discussion with the Nauset Regional Schools concerning the potential use of their well. She also reported that Vanderhoef hopes to hire a consultant to coordinate the work to be done under the $55,000 Outer Cape Water Management Project, which will involve Eastham as the lead town, but will also include Wellfleet, Truro, and Orleans.
She and Whitmore left to attend the 4 p.m. meeting.
Williams suggested that a website be created as a way of educating the public and determining public opinion. Members agreed that would be useful.
Weiss led the group in a review of the list of actions urgently needed to prepare for a spring town meeting on the limited water supply project. The list is based on discussion at the 11/8 meeting.
In examining the initial statement that the boards had agreed to support a public water supply system, Williams asked whether the word “limited” should modify the statement. Bayne agreed to review previous minutes to see whether the statement as written is accurate. In any case, Weiss pointed out, the document is simply an internal action planning document. (The following keyed to corrected numerical format.)
Action #1: This work is on-going.
Actions #2, 3, 5: A consultant well versed in financial issues of water planning is needed.
Action # 4: A decision for BOS.
Action #6: Town Planner may be able to do.
Action #7: Bayne will research for Feb. 2006 meeting.
Action # 8: Weiss asked Sullivan to help him prepare a strategy for public outreach. She agreed. Sandler and Boelitz will be approached as facts develop.
Action #9: Group agreed to attend meetings of individual boards (Health, Planning, Critical Planning, Finance, ConCom, Zoning) rather than call a large meeting which all attend.
Action # 10: Weiss will ask Olthof, Wickson and Nugent to work with him on this.
Relevant to these points, Schaefer pointed out that E.P. was asked to develop an estimate of costs to bring to Wellfleet T.M.; she felt the estimate proved highly accurate. Too, E.P. acted as clerk of the works in the development phase, again successfully.
Bayne reported that CCC water quality scientist Ed Eichner had presented some preliminary data analysis of the pond data to the pond samplers in Nov., and that as a result of that meeting, a small group had begun to gather septic system data from Health Department records for properties touching Herring Pond. Eichner will utilize that data in his interpretation of all Herring Pond data, which will aide him in formulating recommendations for that pond.
Williams suggested that the Pond Stewards might want to come to the ConCom to ask that fertilizer and pesticides be banned in the wetland set back. Recently the ConCom banned the installation of irrigation systems in that area.
Weiss distributed a document called “Straw Man for Financing Municipal Water, All Phases”, written by Whitmore.
Submitted by Sandy Bayne, Clerk
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