From Bill Harvey, Chair of Water & Sewer –
Medfield Water and Sewerage
Rate Setting Public Hearing
28 May 2019
Information Brief
Rates for water and sewerage services are set once a year. The Board of Water and Sewerage, along with the DPW Director and the Water and Sewerage Enterprise Fund Committees have recommended the following increases:
Water +10% across all Tiers
Sewerage +4% across all Tiers
These rates will be effective April 1, 2019.
Background
- Water
It has been in the Master Plan to address elevated levels of natural-occurring manganese in two of our five wells.
The US EPA has not published a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), which are health-based limits, for manganese. The USEPA and the MA DEP do have a Secondary MCL (SMCL) concentration limits of 0.05 mg/l, which is for:
Aesthetic effects — undesirable tastes or odors;
Cosmetic effects — effects which do not damage the body but are still undesirable
Technical effects — damage to water equipment or reduced effectiveness of treatment for other contaminants
In the last few years, a consultant has completed a study on a treatment plant and alternatives.
One of the alternatives was to investigate all Medfield land parcels for an aquifer source of sufficient quantity and quality to avoid a treatment plant. This investigation was conducted in 2017 and 2018. Unfortunately, no other significant water sources were found. Also in 2018, we conducted a treatment pilot which compared different treatment options and designs, and this information will be used for designing a full-scale plant.
The Town is proceeding with detailed design and development of procurement documents for the treatment plant, which will include a re-development of one of its wells to increase the instantaneous pumping capacity. This should relieve some of the pumping burden on our largest well, Well #6.
The capital investment for this project is currently estimated at $8 million. We expect this project to be brought to the Annual Town Meeting in May 2021, and construction to begin in July 2021.
The 10% rate increase for this fiscal period will be followed by another rate increase the following year, projected to be another 10% to pay for the bond and additional operating costs.
- Sewerage
There are some increases in operating costs to operate our sewerage system. The primary driver for this year’s increase is the addition of another full-time employee, which was mandated as per a Consent Order with the DEP for Medfield to increase of staff at the wastewater treatment plant.
![TOWN OF MEDFIELD POSTED: . _c..~i:.l1[.U _ ;,, .J•~ i-~EOFIELO. MASS MEETING NOTICE Zii19 l1A I 3 0 P ij: tQWN CLERK POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF M.G.L. CHAPTER 39 SECTION 23A AS AMENDED. Board of Selectmen Board or Committee PLACE OF MEETING DAY, DATE, AND TIME Town Hall, Chenery Meeting Room, 2nd floor Tuesday June 4, 2019@ 7:00PM AGENDA (Subject to change) Executive Session at close of meeting to conduct strategy session in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel and to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining 7:00PM Call to order Disclosure of video recording We want to take a moment of appreciation for our Troops serving in the Middle East and around the world Appointments Sally Bangoura I request common victualler license for new restaurant at 26 Park Street; license name Spice Queens Sarah Raposa and Jean Mineo I discuss cultural programs at the state hospital site Fire Chief William Carrico I request Selectmen vote to appoint Medical Director Rob Gregg I discuss parking at the Peak House Citizen Comment Action Items Town Accountant Joy Ricciuto requests Selectmen vote to authorize Chairman Murby to sign Engagement Letter for Actuarial Consulting Services with Stone Consulting, Inc. Facilities Director Amy Colleran requests the Selectmen vote to sign two on-call roofing contracts for services at the Medfield State Hospital; contractors Almar LLC, Medfield and Caffrey Roofing and Painting Co. Milford Discuss letter from Copperwood Road residents to Appalachian Mountain Club regarding Bay Circuit Trail Charles River Watershed Association requests Medfield consider joining the Charles River Climate Compact Residents Laurel Scotti and Christa Thompson request Selectmen to vote to declare June 10 as Eve Potts Day in Medfield and vote to sign citation in honor of her 90th birthday Vote to sign Eagle Scout certificates for Ross P. Johnson and Gabriel Muir Springer, Troop 10. Court of Honor Saturday June 8, 2019 at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church at 11 :00 AM Discussion of process for review of Town Administrator and development of Town Administrator goals for FY2020 Town Administrator Update Budget timeline discussion Review Board of Selectmen Action list Selectmen Report Informational Copy of Town Counsel letter to Norfolk Superior Court regarding resident Goldman v. Medfield Conservation Commission Information letter regarding changes to Xfinity TV Services .-. ,_ ..:;-_.--, ~:·' -< ....,.. , .. L:._) rt1 c-. 0 CJ:-< '"':1- l] ;-;;~~ rc: C) -F. ::J;: ~ .. (j") w (I)](https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/20190604-agenda_page_1.jpg?w=500)
