The Sewer Task Force Action Group continues to move forward with its proposal to bring a limited sewer system to the town center.
The group, which is made up of Chris Ashley, Pat Jennings, Carrie Frasier, Joe Sudol, and Wade Holtzman, is working hard to come up with a feasible project that will be palatable to residents in terms of both design and cost.
Jennings is excited about the latest proposal and believes that it could be an effective solution to the serious septic problems faced by municipal buildings, businesses, and homes in the center of town. She acknowledges, however, that she hears a common complaint from friends and neighbors.
“They say, ‘Oh, we’ve done this a hundred times before. What makes this time any different?’” said Jennings. “We want people to understand that our proposal really is different. We have some new information that we didn’t have before, which really makes it a game-changer.”
The game-changer is, for lack of a better word, flow.
In January of this year, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) representatives met with Selectman Tim Clark, Town Administrator Tim Bragan, and engineering consultant Wayne Perry. According to Clark, the DEP advised that it would be reasonable for the town to use up to 80 percent of the permitted 23,000-gallon capacity of the current wastewater treatment plant for planning purposes.
The town received approval to plan a limited system based on actual documented flows at each property, rather than on Title 5 numbers, which are calculated to ensure peak flow capacity reserves. This represents a significant change in the numbers. According to a 2007 report released by the Town Center Planning Committee, average flows in the town center were calculated to be 9,458 gallons per day. In contrast, the Title 5 required capacity for the same area was 34,834 gallons per day—more than three times the actual amount.
At a recent meeting of the Sewer Task Force Action Group, Ashley explained the import of these changes. “Now, the capacity at the plant and the daily water usage in the district are fairly closely matched,” he said. “That means we can look at this project without adding additional land for leaching fields and wastewater treatment plant additions.”
Ashley added that in previous septic scenarios, land purchases for leaching fields and plant additions accounted for 40 to 50 percent of the cost of the project. As a result, the new project promises to be significantly lower in cost.
One of the greatest challenges facing the task force action group at this point is determining just how the cost will be apportioned among town residents. There is agreement that town center residents will shoulder a greater percentage of the cost in the form of “betterment fees;” additionally, any property owner hooked into the system will pay regular maintenance fees. At this point the group is exploring all options in its efforts to make sure that any proposed tax increases for residents would be both “fair and reasonable.”
“We have to come up with a cost structure that will be acceptable to everyone,” said Ashley. “That’s where the rubber hits the road.”
