WMAC Minutes – September 14, 2006

Attendees: Paul Lauenstein, Mike Sherman, Len Sekuler, Rory McGregor

Absent: Jack Sulik, Lealdon Langley

Others present: Eric Hooper, Cliff Towner (until 8:15)

1. There was discussion of the minutes from August about how water use data is reported by the Treasurer's office vs the DPW. Eric Hooper commented on Paul Lauenstein's comments in the minutes about the impact of raising the price of the top block rate. Eric Hooper said that he is issuing refunds for unusually high water bills at an average pace of around $5,000 per week. He said that the necessity of adjusting extraordinary water bills makes it very difficult to anticipate the effect of an increase in the top block rate on revenues. Minutes were approved without modification.

2. Paul Lauenstein pointed out that the daily pumping average on the monthly report for August, 1,807,000 gal/day (GPD) was based on 30 days, not 31. Actual average should be 1,749,000 gal/day.

3. Eric Hooper explained that two of the locations shown on the Miscellaneous Locations groundwater monitoring well graph are geographically located outside Sharon and provide a comparative reference for what we are observing at the in-town wells.

4. Eric Hooper has not yet met with the Stoughton DPW on the proposed emergency water connection locations along Bay Road. Stoughton had to cancel the meeting scheduled for 2 weeks ago. A meeting with Stoughton is scheduled for next week. Watermark is our contractor handling this initiative.

5. The BrickStone Brickstone Project plans to get water from MWRA via Stoughton. They apparently view this as an easier path than applying directly to Sharon for our town water. We debated without conclusion on who will have to apply to the MWRA for the permit, Sharon or Brickstone. Eric Hooper said that if Brickstone obtains MWRA water, they could also provide emergency backup for Sharon's water supply. Paul Lauenstein commented that he has heard that MWRA will not sell water to an individual development entirely within a community that is not a member of MWRA. If that is the case, Sharon may be required to join MWRA as a town in order for Brickstone to obtain MWRA water.

An emergency water connection for Sharon via the proposed BrickStone location requires evaluation of the hydraulic impact on the Stoughton water system.  Stoughton will do this as part of their assessment to provide water to Brickstone.  Eric Hooper advised that Sharon might have to pay something for this effort. Eric Hooper said he is moving forward with evaluation of the three possible emergency connections to Stoughton along Bay Road regardless of Brickstone because of the uncertainties of that project. Len Sekuler proposed that once the evaluation of the three Bay Road sites is complete, the finalist should be compared with the Brickstone option, and then a final decision should be made. Eric Hooper said the next step is for Stoughton to finish modeling the impact of emergency withdrawals at each of the three sites.

6. Cliff Towner inquired about a new comprehensive groundwater study referred to by Selectman Bill Heitin at a recent televised Selectmen's meeting. Eric Hooper said he was unaware of any such study, adding that the only ongoing Water Department studies concern new well sites, emergency backup and iron/manganese filtration.

7. Our contractor, ESS, is continuing its evaluation of potential new in-town water sources for Sharon. First priority is the Edgehill Well located on the Sharon Memorial Park cemetery property. There is a meeting scheduled with DEP on Tuesday, Sept 19 to discuss permitting issues related to this site. Two possible options: share use of their existing well or create another well alongside. Current capacity of the cemetery well, which is used for irrigation, is 1 million GPD.

Second priority is to pursue full pump test at the Canton Street site. Eric Hooper intends to  explore all issues with potential sites so that the costly pump test can be pursued at the site with highest probability for approval.

Nothing new to report on the Gobbi site. The issue is in the hands of Town Counsel. Paul Lauenstein commented that it has been over a year and a half since the Selectmen authorized the expenditure of $3,000 to obtain a court order to gain access for the purpose of exploratory well testing at the site. It is important to assess all potential well sites before going ahead with costly pump testing.

8. Tax-free weekend in August resulted in 14 applications for rebates on washing machines with low water use.  Total washing machine rebates to date is 265. These machines are saving the town roughly 1.5 million gallons every year.

9. There was discussion about the Water Department's delay in distributing newly designed conservation-related inserts that go into the water bills sent to town residents.  Eric Hooper explained that he had decided to suspend the distribution of the water bill inserts based on comments sent to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) suggesting that Sharon could be doing more to promote water conservation. He said that he would not send out the inserts until DEP requires the Sharon Water Department to resume sending them out. 

Paul Lauenstein responded that the water bill insert program was a local initiative that had nothing to do with DEP. He said it had been unanimously recommended by the WMAC and unanimously approved by the Selectmen for the good of the community. He said there was no reason to wait for DEP to weigh in on the matter.

Mike Sherman made a motion to reaffirm the WMAC's prior recommendation of the insert program and recommend that the program be resumed as soon as possible. This motion was passed unanimously. Eric Hooper agreed to get the inserts printed and inserted in the water bills beginning in October.

Paul Lauenstein commented that water use is down sharply in 2006, and circulated monthly pumping statistics for 2006 relative to prior years which suggested that the water bill insert program may be reducing water usage in Sharon. His calculations indicated that the $2,000 annual cost of the water bill inserts is more than offset by savings in electricity to run the pumps, not including other costs of water supply such as treatment chemicals, etc. Eric Hooper responded that Paul Lauenstein's analysis was simplistic and that the effect of the insert program was confounded with the effects of weather and other factors, making it hard to draw any definite conclusions from the data.

10. Eric Hooper expressed concern that many organizations, including in-town committees like ConCom and Lake Management, provided DEP with negative comments concerning DEP's draft Water Management Act withdrawal permit for Sharon.  He felt that the Town is doing many things to reduce water usage and that more emphasis on the positive aspects of the Sharon Water Department's management practices, planning efforts and conservation initiatives would facilitate the process.  Eric Hooper said that wetlands monitoring in Sharon will continue even though DEP no longer requires it. He pointed out that comments to the effect that water constraints limit development tend to pit DEP against state housing requirements, which is counterproductive. He commented that we may have to go through a public hearing with DEP to address the negative comments made regarding Sharon's draft withdrawal permit. We discussed what role the WMAC should play to dispel any misconceptions about the Sharon Water Department's planning and management that may persist in other town committees and outside organizations like NepWRA and Audubon.

12. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 12th.

Rory McGregor

Secretary