Town of Harwich
,
MA
Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP)
September 27, 2007 – 7:00 p.m.
Harwich
Community Center
Community Meeting
No. 1 Summary
Attendees:
Wastewater Management Subcommittee (WMS)
Frank Sampson (Chair)
George Myers
Robert Owens
Larry Ballantine
(Stanley Kocot was unable to attend)
Town
Staff Advisors
Heinz Proft
Craig Wiegand
Sue Leven
(Paula Champagne was unable to attend)
Water Quality Task Force (WQTF)
Robert Goodwin
Robert Saranti
Other Notable Attendees
Thomas Cambareri (
Cape Cod
Commission)
Jim Merriam (
Harwich
Town
Administrator)
Ed McManus and Larry Cole (Harwich Board of Selectmen)
CDM Project Team
David Young, Alan Roscoe,
Mary Barry
Introduction:
The
Wastewater Management Subcommittee conducted an informational community
meeting on Thursday, September 27th in the
Harwich
Community Center
to introduce the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) project
and the project team to the citizens of Harwich. The purpose of the
community meeting was to:
n
Introduce the Project, the WMS, and the consultant (CDM)
to the Town;
n
Promote the Public Participation Plan; and
n
Describe the Scope of Work and Project Schedule.
A
copy of the presentation slides for Community Meeting No. 1 will be
posted on the WQTF web-site.
PRESENTATION
WMS
Chairman Frank Sampson welcomed the guests and introduced WMS members to
the public at approximately 7:00 p.m. Mr. Sampson gave an overview of
the importance of the study and introduced Selectmen’s liaison to the
WMS, Mr. Ed McManus.
Mr. McManus discussed the
importance of public participation in this process and called for
residents to become involved and participate in the Citizen’s Advisory
Committee (CAC). Mr. McManus introduced David Young (CDM).
Mr. Young provided an overview of the reasons for the study, the
purpose of the study and the challenges involved. A critical element of
the course of the study is public information and involvement. He
also explained how the CWMP process will dovetail with the Massachusetts
Estuaries Project (MEP) process. Mr. Young then introduced Ms. Mary
Barry (CDM) to discuss public informational tools such as website,
periodic meetings and importance of CAC.
At the conclusion of the presentation, presenters were available
for a Question & Answer (Q&A) session. A brief summary of the
Q&A session appears below:
BRIEF
SUMMARY OF QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION
Q:
If impacts are affecting estuaries, are the groundwater wells
protected?
A: Fresh water bodies and groundwater supply wells are more
resilient to Nitrogen impacts than salt water. Salt water is much more
sensitive to elevated nitrogen levels, as the recommended limits to the
estuaries are in the order of 0.35 mg/L, and limits to drinking water
are 10 mg/L. There is an order of magnitude higher sensitivity to
estuary systems.
Q:
What is really driving the CWMP?
A: Drivers are two-fold, the future need s of the community, and the
Massachusetts Estuaries Program (MEP).
Q: Is Harwich acting alone, and are neighboring communities
participating where watersheds are shared between adjacent communities?
A: For Harwich harbors, yes, but there is a collaborative effort
that has been ongoing (Pleasant Bay Alliance – Chatham, Brewster, and
Orleans) for Pleasant Bay as there are four communities that share this
watershed.
Q:
What is the timeline for the whole Project? and what can we
anticipate for costs?
A: The study is scheduled over a 24-month program. This program will
not be a recommendation to sewer the whole town. Costs discussed for
programs in other communities at $200M program are not realistic for
Harwich.
Q:
Can Harwich afford not to do this?
A: We must maintain tourism and our quality of life. We’re all
living here because of the beaches, the waterways, and access to
recreational activities. Our economy is based around tourism.
Q: Does the Study include future growth?
A: Yes, the project includes population growth for an extended
period of time (approx. 20 years).
Q: What happens when MEP issues findings of their study?
A: Alternatives are then evaluated to remove the required amount
of Nitrogen from specific watersheds.
Q: What is in place to control the costs of this study?
A: Costs may change (i.e. additional meetings, fieldwork, etc.)
however, the WMS is monitoring progress closely and this issue has been
discussed earlier during a meeting with our consultants.
Q: For those without computer access, can materials be
supplied at the public
library?
A: Hardcopies of documents will be provided for viewing in public
places as suggested.
The Q&A session ran from
approximately 7:35 pm to 8:20 pm. Residents were urged to sign-in on the
sheets provided and to become involved in the process through the CAC.
The above meeting minutes have been prepared from notes taken by CDM.
Should you have any additions or revisions, please contact Alan Roscoe
at 617-452- 6306 or roscoead@cdm.com.
Otherwise the above is believed to be correct as stated.
Distribution: WMS Members
James Merriam
Ed McManus
CDM Team
