Notes of July 11, 2004 General Membership Meeting
Co-sponsored by
Wellfleet Non-Resident Taxpayers Association and the Wellfleet Community Forum
Topic: Building Neighborhood Water Systems
The meeting, which was attended by approximately 80 people, was convened at 4:00PM at the Wellfleet Senior Center. May Ruth Seidel, president of the WNRTA and Paul Connor, president of the Forum, greeted those present.
May Ruth introduced the panelists: Tim Smith, Wellfleet Town Administrator; Emily Beebe, Wellfleet Health Officer; and Paul Gabriel, Wellfleet s consultant on water systems from Environmental Partners. She described the meeting as an opportunity for homeowners to learn about neighborhood wells and community water system wells, options for dealing with residential water quality. A survey conducted last year by the WNRTA had found pockets of substantial concern about this issue.
Tim Smith stated that although he is not an expert on community wells, he would answer questions regarding a municipal water system and what the Town may or many not do re: community wells.
Emily Beebe then presented the reasons and procedures for developing neighborhood water systems. Reasons for sharing a well with one or more neighbors were given as the need to improve water quality, reduce regulator pressure and share costs. Participants should have shared boundaries and no more than 12 bedrooms because of the limits on the amount of water that can be drawn. They must hire an engineer or consultant to develop plans and address legal easements. Flow requirements must be determined and a sited located that meets Zone 1 requirements, i.e., an area of 100 feet radius with no construction on it. To get started, she suggested examining neighborhood assessor s maps and engaging neighbors in discussions to establish their interest. She offered to be available to any residents
interested in pursing this option.
Another option for addressing water quality is a community water system, such as The Coles Neck Community Water System. It was built in 1987 as a public system and was designed to supply water to properties located around the town landfill because of concern about possible well contamination. It has at least 15 year round connections and/or regularly serves 25 year round residents. A year round resident is defined as being in residence at least 60 days per year and rental properties that meet this criterion would be considered year round users. The design of this system assumed a maximum water use rate of 400 gallons per day.
Emily also discussed the Pleasant Point Water System in South Wellfleet, which is an example of a privately owned community water system. It is a non-conforming Zone 1 system with 65 member units. Homes on this system cannot be expanded and share equally in the costs. Some pressure problems exist.
In response to a question from the floor, Emily said that it would be possible to share Title V septic systems but the problem is that neighbors are rarely going through problems with their septic systems at the same time.
Paul Gabriel began by showing a map of Wellfleet that identified existing Zone 1 areas. As the draw on a well increases, the Zone 1 radius increases, with a minimum allowable radius of 100 feet and a maximum of 400 feet. The larger the yield required, the more complicated the project. In trying to plan a town-wide solution to water problems that could provide 70 gallons of water per minute, only the Boy Scout Camp and Wellfleet by the Sea were found to meet this criterion and allow a 400 foot radius. At Coles Neck, the radius cannot exceed 300 feet. Pump tests on water quality were conducted at all three sites. He stressed the need for redundant sources in case something happens to the primary field.
Paul then outlined an eight-stage plan, prepared by his company, to meet the water needs of the Town. The first phase was designed to serve the Town s Central District and some adjacent areas. However, if new wells are opened and a water tower is built, residences along the piping could request hookups . His total plan would incrementally increase the number of households that could be served by a municipal water system to 1215 connections. He estimated that the per household cost would be $8-10,000, which he did not think was unreasonable for such a system. (Note: If the cost of the expanded system were to be born by all taxpayers in the Town, the additional per annum tax increase would be about $50 per residence.) The details of this plan are available on the Wellfleet website, www.wellfleetma.org.
In response to questions from the floor, the panelists stated the following:
-A bedroom is defined as a room intended to provide privacy. Specific criteria can be found on the Town s website and in Title 5 regulations. More information regarding Title 5 can be obtained from the Departmental of Environmental Protection website, from Barnstable County and from Emily Beebe.
-Some type of liability insurance would be advisable for a community well.
-Currently, only properties connecting to the existing water system will have to pay a fee. No decisions have been made regarding charges for an expanded system.
-Electric toilets have not been considered because water use in toilets is very small.
-Property owners can learn from Tim Smith s office or the Town assessor if they abut a Zone 1 area.
-The criterion of 70 gallons per minute for community wells does not apply to private homes.
-The 500,000-gallon water tank proposed for the Town would be sufficient for the entire plan.
-Community wells should be away from densely developed areas.
-First options for connecting to the municipal system will be offered to those in close proximity to the system. Usage will be charged through meters.
-Testing their water quality will help homeowners determine whether they are interested in hooking up to a larger system.
-Although there are other sources of nitrates besides septic systems, they have minimal impact on water quality.
-Studies are currently being conducted to ascertain whether new septic systems are affecting shellfish and water quality of the harbor. The Estuaries Project Report will be completed in the future.
-Fire hydrants have been installed at minimal cost for future use but are not currently fire-control capable. At the present time they are used to flush the system.
-There are no town properties in Indian Neck that could be used for community wells.
Helen Miranda Wilson, a Town Selectman, reminded those present that the eight-stage plan that was presented by Paul Gabriel is a proposal and that it in not written in stone.
May Ruth urged those interested in community wells to put their names on a signup sheet so that they can be contacted by likeminded neighbors.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:30 PM.
Respectfully submitted, July 28, 2004
Lila Croen, Secretary
Wellfleet Non-Resident Taxpayers Association
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