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Water Supply Citizens Advisory Committee
to the MWRA (WSCAC)
Meeting Minutes
Next meeting:
June 18, 10:30 a.m.
MWRA facilities Southborough
Directions | Agenda
Meeting Report: April 23, 2008
Present: Whitney Beals, WSCAC Chair. Alice Clemente, At-large; John Craycroft, Cedar Swamp Conservation Trust; Paul Lauenstein, Neponset River Watershed Association; Tom Miner, Franklin Council of Governments; Sally Newbury, Sudbury Valley Trustees; Martin Pillsbury, MAPC and presenter; Jeanne Richardson, Boston Water and Sewer Commission. Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, MWRA. Eileen Simonson, WSCAC Staff.
The meeting report will not present a full review of Martin Pillsbury’s presentation of the MAPC “Water Smart Tool Kit.” The second presentation component is “WaterMarks 495 – a product of the 495/MetroWest Corridor Water Resources Strategy. All materials are on the WEB at two addresses: www.mapc.org/495water and www.arc-of-innovation.org.
FEATURE: Simonson introduced Martin Pillsbury, MAPC, by saying that WSCAC and MAPC have been working together since WSCAC’s inception. The first project was to find an independent source of population and water use projections (Martin and Doug Carnahan, MAPC) to assess the adequacy of the consultant’s work on future water demand. Simonson explained how WSCAC also suggested economists George Treyz and Roy Williams (UMass economics department) to seek additional kinds of econometric models to add to the mix of possible projections. WSCAC held a conference at the Federal Building in Boston to discredit the consultant’s projections by showing that they were more wish fulfillment for selling more water by the MDC and not based on the best demographic information. Pillsbury had been a consultant before he came to MAPC and wrote an excellent history of the metro-water system. It was Task 18.30 of the Long Range Water Supply Study and EIR-2020 and I still use it today, to remind myself of the evolution of the water system. Martin is also a member of WAC, so he is familiar with both sides of the MWRA’s system.
Pillsbury’s presentation was fascinating, generated over 2.5 years, and focuses on water resource trends in three categories: water, wastewater and stormwater. There are many trends being investigated and many components in the project. It focuses on the Route 495 Corridor which is a very quickly growing area with not only increased residential water use but substantial commercial and industrial development. Pillsbury hopes some day to get back into the region and do very specific projections instead of the ‘broad-brush’ approach that had to be taken at this time.
The region is primarily in two watersheds, the SuAsCo to the north, mostly its headwaters, and the upper Charles to the south. There are some small overlaps into such watersheds as the Neponset, and the region is over half-a-million people. Of the 32 communities in the corridor, 24 that rely on local supplies are reaching the limits of their withdrawal allowances. What are the implications for the future and the MWRA? Pillsbury reported that a former state senator saw the 495 region falling between the cracks, between Boston and Worcester, and the Corridor project was begun. How efficient are these water systems? What kind of growth planning and regulation are they engaged in? For answers about the project and your own questions, please see the above addresses or contact Martin at MAPC. Martin is co-chair of this public-private partnership project with Gerry Preble, PE of Beals and Thomas, Inc. the latter being the private enterprise co-chair.
Steve Estes-Smargiassi made an overall point about how difficult MAPC’s job really is in doing these projections and the disadvantage of planners in New England. He said, the question of whether a development changes a population projection is really a New England dilemma because every small bit of land is incorporated in little bits, but if you were in another part of the country, you would be looking at fairly broad swaths, maybe the entire metropolitan area, or five or six sub-regions and it would not matter whether the shopping mall was built on this side of the line or on the other. In the watersheds, Steve said, growth occurs perhaps if one family decides to sell their farm because ‘the wife’s arthritis is acting up’ and they want to move to Florida. So the growth will go there! Pillsbury answered that the way this project is put together is to start with a “regional control total” which reflects the regional dynamics of growth and then we apportion that growth down to towns and cities. It is a zero sum game. So if someone adds 30,000 people somewhere, MAPC would have to reduce the growth elsewhere to balance out. The regional total is there based on larger demographic trends and models. In other regions, no one would try to do this at this scale.
NOTE 1: During a cookie/beverage break, Simonson explained, that WSCAC has been working with the WAC and the Advisory Board about the future of the committees. There has been generated a list of topics that each committee may be interested in with the hope of finding common topics and to assess whether there might be merit in merging the committees some day into a water resources committee. The merger has been put aside for now, but the topics of interest are an ongoing discussion. Simonson confessed that the way she marked the topics, as to whether they were of interest to one group or another, was presumptuous, and resulted in it appearing that the two committees have about 95% overlapping interest, which is probably not the case. Mea culpa! So, she urged, a look at the topics to make your own decisions about whose interest it is and amend the topics to cover your interests. A new topic has already been added – it is how can MWRA better ‘blow its own horn’ about the excellent job it has done on so many things, but especially the Boston Harbor – this is hard for any agency to do. This list will be back!
NOTE 2: After Beals briefly described the process to hire a new executive director(s) with a WSCAC selection committee, Miner moved that the meeting authorize the search committee to continue the advertising of the position, if the pool of applicants did not appear to be ample enough at the close of the application period, about a week away. A second was given and it was unanimously approved.
MWRA Report: Stephen Estes-Smargiassi said he has two small changes to the minutes of the March meeting which were passed on to Simonson.
MWRA’s Report: A few weeks ago the MWRA Board approved the design contract for the addition of ultraviolet at the John Carroll treatment plant. Sometime later in the summer there should be a similar action for the Ware disinfection plant at Quabbin. Second disinfection facilities are due to be online in 2012 in accordance with new guidance from the Safe Drinking Water Act. The cost is about $43 million for the Wachusett plant and about $5 million for Quabbin. The operating costs could actually result in some cost savings because of a reduction in ozone at the Carroll plant, but the amount of reduction is not clear. Simonson noted that so far the discussion about pharmaceuticals in drinking water has revealed that ozone and UV may be somewhat effective in breaking down some of the compounds.
Lauenstein asked about beavers in the watersheds and indeed there are. But there is a wildlife exclusion zone where beavers are trapped and removed.
Business plan: Every five years or so MWRA produces a business plan that provides the high priority topics with milestones and metrics, said Estes-Smargiassi. It is important to look out and say what you want to accomplish in the next five years, especially in such a large agency. Simonson noted the business plan includes a “modest expansion” of water service and Estes-Smargiassi said that the definition of that is “demure.” The Board of MWRA will get a more detailed presentation in the future. This note of levity was much appreciated by all. And next Estes-Smargaissi noted that the reservoirs are full. It has been raining, groundwater is full and MWRA had to move water to the Sudbury from Wachusett to manage inflow. It does so via the Wachusett Aqueduct, through the Open Channel to Stony Brook, and to the Sudbury Reservoir. MWRA is spilling more water than its demand, but it is spring freshet period.
Norumbega: Last month Estes-Smargiassi reported on Norumbega inspections which are mostly done and the good news is that there is nothing newsy to report. The divers did not find any structural issues and modest sedimentation (it’s been 5 years) and will do some cleaning in a few years and then every 5-7 years thereafter. This was originally a design-build contract and designers are asked to be creative, but it was important to tell the design-build team what the longer-term quality of the job was.
Annual Water Quality Report: This Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is a great deal of work, even though the text changes only by small amounts, because you contact all of your communities and the logistics of every community getting a correct report specific to it is complicated. This year the water quality was excellent with the exception of a very few communities that had some lead issues and it improves all of the time. This year’s unifying theme is essentially ‘what a penny buys you.’ If you are in the Boston area is buys you a gallon of water delivered. The report tells the consumer that a penny buys well protected source waters from upland reservoirs delivered, and buys you up to date modern treatment and more. A few mildly negative references about bottled water are contained in the report. Simonson asked if every year reporting is still worthwhile and Estes-Smargiassi said absolutely because not everyone reads the reports every year, and we provide every consumer household with the information every year through the mail. Pillsbury said this is major communication with the consumer. Lauenstein asked about information on conservation in the CCR and Estes-Smargiassi said the standard report directs to the web site and the generic report includes a full page on conservation.
Tap Water Campaign: MWRA will be handing out non-polycarbonate empty-refillable bottles at the school education awards ceremony and over time at other events. Although these plastic bottles are not as sturdy, MWRA made a decision to use non-polycarbonate, #1 plastic.
Lauenstein asked if the WaterSense logo might go on the bottles. Not on the bottles, Estes-Smargiassi said, but it will go on other materials.
Jeanne Richardson explained some exciting things going on in Boston. First, in partnership with MWRA, Boston takes posters from Boston residents that were submitted to MWRA and runs a ‘second chance’ poster contest for first and second place from each school. The theme was bottled versus tap water. The posters will be on the web site also and there will also be games. A second activity for National Drinking Water Week in the first week of May, called “Only Tap Water Delivers,” was initially proposed by American Water Works. This will be on the busses and subways in Boston, Springfield, Portland, Maine and Hartford, Connecticut. Richardson is also getting the press to pick up on the children’s posters and then tie into the tap-water campaign and finally the CCR’s go out - so it will be two months of intense water information activity.
Tom miner reported that the Catskill portion of the New York City water system has two main aqueducts and in one of the southern Ulster County towns, west of the Hudson, people are getting water in their basements. The Delaware Aqueduct (Catskill is the other) is leaking and the aqueduct cannot be dewatered, Miner reported, because of fear of collapse. Estes-Smargiassi said he is on the review panel for New York and the leak is about 35 MGD. The Aqueduct was inspected and they are looking at billions of dollars and some unknown length of time for any planned repairs, while finding ways to bypass sections and build back-up supply and emergency connections, and more. The distance between shafts is about 45 miles between reservoirs and they used an un-tethered powered ‘torpedo’ to look. A similar device was tested in MWRA’s Weston Reservoir about five years ago. On a somewhat related matter, Pillsbury added that the Delaware Basin is his home turf and there is a trade-off occurring because New York reservoirs are running high enough to cause flooding, and the City has agreed to run reservoirs at lower elevations and risk a lower volume of available water at the end of the summer into early fall. New York City’s system in comparison to the MWRA’s is five times the amount of watershed and only about 110% of the storage capacity for water, with about five times the number of customers. NYC’s reduced water storage results in it being a very annual water supply system in comparison to MWRA’s multi-year reservoir storage.
Simonson, reminding all present that they must take a donut or other treat before leaving, called for adjournment, and so it was………..
DIRECTIONS TO THE BELCHERTOWN FIRE STATION
From MA Pike: Take Palmer exit and follow Rt. 181 North into Belchertown. Continue through town by the Common on your right. McCarthy’s Pub will be on the right and the Belchertown Fire Station is the next building on the right. Please park in the lower parking lot.
From Quabbin: Continue West on Tr. 9 to the intersection of Rt. 202 and Rt. 9. Make a left at the intersection toward Belchertown center. The Belchertown Fire Station will be on the left. Please park in the lower (first entrance) parking lot.
Directions to the DCR Quabbin Visitors Center and Administration Building
FROM BOSTON: Take the Mass. Turnpike to Exit 8 (Palmer). At the end of the Exit Ramp turn left onto Route 32 North and proceed for 8 miles. In Ware turn left at the green sign "Route 9 West" (just past McDonalds). Go 2/10ths of a mile to a stop sign. Turn left onto Route 9 and proceed west for 7 miles. Turn right at the green sign marked "Quabbin Reservoir - Winsor Dam" (Note: This will be the second green sign on your right. The first sign, located at the 5.3 mile mark, provides access to the main Quabbin Park area, including the Enfield Lookout and Quabbin Observation Tower). Turn right at this entrance and proceed 1/2 mile to DCR Quabbin Administration Building, the large brick building on the right.
FROM SPRINGFIELD: Take the Mass. Turnpike to Exit 7 (Ludlow). Turn right on Route 21 heading north towards Belchertown. Continue on Route 21 through Belchertown Center to Route 9. Turn right at the stop sign onto Route 9 east and proceed 2 miles to the green sign marked "Quabbin Reservoir - Winsor Dam". Turn left at the sign and go 1/2 mile to the large brick building which overlooks the reservoir.
FROM AMHERST: Take Route 9 east towards Belchertown. The entrance to Quabbin is 3 miles east of the intersection with Route 202 and is marked with a sign "Quabbin Reservoir - Winsor Dam". Turn left at the sign and go 1/2 mile to the large brick building which overlooks the reservoir.
FROM THE NORTH: Take Route 2 to Route 202 south. Proceed 21 miles to the traffic light at the intersection with Route 9. Turn left onto Route 9 east and proceed 3 miles to the green sign marked "Quabbin Reservoir - Winsor Dam". Turn left and proceed 1/2 mile to the large brick building which overlooks the reservoir.
A parking lot is marked on your right, just before the Administration Building.
Updated June 13, 2008