Harwich Water & Wastewater Department

Present: Chairman Donald T. Bates Jr., Vice Chairman Danette Gonsalves, Clerk George Cavanaugh, Superintendent Craig Wiegand

Note: Secretary not present at meeting, minutes are as dictated by Superintendent Wiegand.

Meeting called to order at 8:25 AM by Chairman Bates.

Discussion was held regarding an agreement for indirect costs and fire protection to be sent to the Board of Selectmen. Danette Gonsalves made a motion to accept and sign the agreement as written. George Cavanaugh seconded the motion. Both Mr. Cavanaugh and Superintendent Wiegand will attend the meeting of the Board of Selectmen on May 17, 2004, to present the agreement to them. Copies have been made and signed for distribution and review by the Selectmen and interested parties prior to the meeting.

Discussion also about proposed work for FY'05 as follows:

1. Headwaters bridge water main project.
2. South Chatham Road water main
3. Hydrant and valve replacement
4. Replacement of curb stops in various areas
5. Add inline gates
6. New radios at pump stations
7. Insulate Route 124 water main under bridge
8. Add 5 new water quality test probes to system 9. Variable speed drives
10. Add generators to pumping stations (article)
11. New 1.5 million gallon tank (article)
12. Munis billing software (article)

Note: Munis representative will be coming in next week to implement the conversion time schedule. Also the new tank bid will be out by July 1, 2004, and will be submitted to Central Register for distribution.

Discussion held regarding problem on Daisy Street. The water main is only 2 ft. below the grade of the road. As this is a private road, a letter has been sent to all the residents explaining that the grade needs to be raised to prevent damage from freezing or property damage due to broken water mains during the cold season. Anyone interested in discussing further can attend the June 1st meeting of the Board.

A discussion was held regarding the Emergency Regulations on the Unregulated Contaminant Perchlorate being promulgated by DEP. Our department has been mandated to sample all public drinking water sources. During the first week of April, we sampled every public drinking water site, and we have since received all of the results back from a state certified lab. All of our samples returned with results showing no detection for Perchlorate.

Due to the fact that Perchlorate has been detected in areas where either rocket fuel or fireworks have been discharged over a long period of time, the Commissioners have asked that sampling be conducted on both Whitehouse Field and Potters Field irrigation systems to determine whether Perchlorate can be detected in the ground water. If Perchlorate is detected in the ground water we will begin to test sites down gradient of those locations towards the Chatham Road wellfield. If Perchlorate is detected in the ground water it will be imperative to ascertain the extent of the plume and its direction of travel.

As you are aware, the Office of Research and Science (OPR) an arm of EPA has stated on numerous occasions that a very short term exposure to levels in excess of 1.0 ppb can cause neurological harm (brain damage were the words used at one meeting) to children under 12, unborn fetus', etc.

If we receive positive results from samples taken at Whitehouse Field and Potters Field, the Board of Water Commissioners will then approach the Board of Selectmen with their recommendations on the best way to address this problem.

The Commissioners believe that this could lead to a very serious issue, and are taking aggressive actions to protect the citizens as well as our aquifer here in the Town of Harwich.

Meeting adjourned at 9:30 AM.

Donald T. Bates,Jr., Chairman
Danette Gonsalves, Vice Chairman
George Cavanaugh, Clerk
Craig Wiegand, Superintendent
Carol M. Connor, Secretary