WMAC MEETING MINUTES – FEBRUARY 12, 2009

 

Attendees:  David Crosby – Chair, David Hearne, Paul Lauenstein, Rory McGregor – Secretary, Len Sekuler, Bob Weeks

 

Others:  Eric Hooper – Superintendent, DPW

 

1.  The minutes from the WMAC meeting on January 15, 2009 were approved.

 

2.  Eric Hooper gave an update on Weston & Sampson’s Water Master Plan and specific recommendations that they have made.

            a)  For the situation where a well pump suddenly stops pumping, all chemical feed pumps (potassium hydroxide, chlorine) need to automatically shut down.  Cost is approximately $7,000 per well; total cost is $42,000 for all six wells.  Legislation is forthcoming that will require this to be done.  We may want to check whether other towns are doing continuous monitoring of chemical elements/compounds in pumped water, be they the naturally occurring nitrates, dissolved solids, etc. or the added chemicals used for treatment.

            b)  The pipe diameters in the GIS database need updating; some are incorrect.  This is important to future use of the predictive model for water flow in our system, especially as relates to fire flow studies.  The initial use of the model was for Mountain Street.  We will want to use it for Sharon Commons, the emergency backup connection (Chemung St or Tiot St), as well as other parts of town.

            c)  Eric will request that W&S routinely provide WMAC with a paragraph summary of work scope planned for the month ahead.

 

3.  Eric handed out copies of Hydrogeologic Investigation Report by ESS Group.  We will discuss at the next meeting.

 

4.  Eric met with Stoughton officials today on the issue of an emergency water connection at Chemung Street, as well as several other issues (Bay Road repair, Brickstone).  The cost estimate for the emergency connection with Norwood at Tiot will be completed first.  The Stoughton estimate will come afterwards.

 

5.  Approximately 3,750 new water meters have been installed in town residences.  The software used to calculate the water consumption at each residential meter assumes pipe diameter of 5/8”, which is true in 90% of Sharon homes.  The others will have incorrect calculations because of the difference in pipe diameter.  Eric says that the fault lies with Badger, the manufacturer of the water meters, and that steps are being taken to promptly correct the situation and ensure accurate billing.

 

6.  The acoustic leak detection pilot study has not had satisfactory results to date.  Itron has conducted the investigation.  The different types of water pipe throughout our town do not facilitate good signal transmission.  We may have to wait until all of the old A/C and iron water mains have been converted to ductile iron.

 

7.  Eric Hooper will incorporate the policy on installing water-efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances in new construction into the Town Water Department Rules and Regulations, and update the rebate policies on the town website.  We need to ensure that the published information on the town website for rebates agrees with, and fully reflects, Water Department policies. 

 

On toilet rebates, we want to encourage the installation of High Efficiency Toilets to replace existing less-efficient toilets.  We agreed to recommend that the current toilet rebate policy of $150 per HET be replaced by a new toilet rebate policy that will provide for 50% of the hardware cost of the HE toilet up to a maximum of $200.  The rebate will be paid to the applicant in the form of a check for the time being, but could eventually be a deduction on a future water bill.

 

Paul Lauenstein will prepare an updated draft notice for the town website which explains details of the rebate program and procedure for how to apply.

 

8.  We voted unanimously to recommend approval of the new water bill insert, which will hopefully begin going out with the April water bills.

 

9.   Other topics brought up for future consideration include:

            a)  Reviewing water consumption data book by book to try to determine the extent to which recent reductions in water use will affect revenues, and how the water rates should be adusted to ensure adequate funding of the Water Department.  Also, water main leak repair logs should be reviewed to try to determine how much of the recent reductions in water use are attributable to those repairs, and therefore would not affect revenues.

            b)  Registration and periodic recertification of lawn water irrigating systems.

            c)  Soliciting annual grant to fund water conservation initiatives.

 

10.  Next meeting:  Thursday, March 19th, at 7:30pm at the Community Center

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Rory McGregor