HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-09-17 Water and Sewer Advisory Committee MinutesWATER & SEWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
September 17, 2003
A meeting of the Water & Sewer Advisory Committee was held at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, September
17, 2003, in the Great Room, Senior Center, 49 Pleasant Street, Reading, MA.
In attendance were Chairman Richard Moore, Secretary Stephen Crook, Committee members Steven
Oston, John Wood and Bob Salter, Selectmen Liaison Gail Wood, DPW Water Treatment Plant
Supervisor Peter Tassi, DPW Director Ted McIntire, Ginger Hartman of CDM, and Jenny Mendez
Consultant to CDM.
Water Conservation Kick Off Meeting
There were approximately 40 interested citizens attending the meeting. Ginger Hartman of CDM
presented information on the Water Conservation Program. She explained the water audit that is
available to the highest residential users in the community and the water conservation fixtures free of
charge to all residential homes in the community. She highlighted and displayed fixtures such as faucet
aerators, rain gages, shower heads, toilet tank block, automatic water shutoffs, and hose spray nozzles. In
addition, she explained the rebate programs for low flow toilets, irrigation systems rain sensors, and high
efficiency clothes washers. The Town will also be presenting a general public education and outreach
program, a scholastic water conservation program and a municipal building retrofit program, to install
water saving devices including low flow toilets, low flow shower heads, and faucet aerators. The Town
will also continue to do its system wide leak detection of its water distribution system, which has saved
millions of gallons per year. There were many questions asked by the residents in attendance which were
appropriately answered by the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee, Ginger Hartman, and DPW Staff.
Water Treatment Plant Tour
Ted explain that the tour of the Water Treatment Plant would be held on November 1, 2003. Letters had
been sent to all Town Meeting Members and the Town Manager would notify the Board of Selectmen
and the Finance Committee of the tour. The tour will start at 9:00am and in addition to staff and Water
and Sewer Advisory Committee members, representatives from CDM would also be present.
Water Issues
Ted McIntire updated the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee on the following issues, with a slide
presentation:
1. Water Treatment Plant Upgrade - It is expected that design of the facility will take
approximately 20 months, construction an additional 24 months, and completion of the
project is expected in the fall of 2007. The total construction cost is $12.8 million, design
is estimated to be $1.5 million;
2. MWRA Water "Service - Total cost to connect to the MWRA water works system is
expected to be $3.18 million. All approvals are expected to be completed by mid-2004;
Minutes - WSAC September 17 2003.doc
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3. Water Conservation Program - A multifaceted program expected to take approximately
four years to complete;
4. 20" Water Main Replacement - This project is to replace the water main from Bancroft
Avenue cross-country through the Birch Meadow athletic field complex to Arthur B Lord
Drive, Forest Street and connection into the 24" water main on Colburn Road. We will
coordinate the project with the construction of the High School complex.
It was moved by Stephen Crook, seconded by Steven Oston and approved by a vote of 5-0 to adjourn the
meeting at 9:35 PM
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