Northport Village Corporation

Utilities Department

March 4, 2005

Minutes

Attending: David Crofoot, Chairman; by phone: Judy Metcalf, Jim Coughlin, Peter Spollett; also present were Dick McElhaney, Beverly Crofoot and Karen Hoedtke

Minutes of the last meeting were accepted (3:0)

Superintendent’s Report:

Sewer Department

Monitoring Data: No license violations in January or February. Flow during January averaged 0.054 mgd compared to 0.020 in January of 2004; precipitation totaled 2.86 inches versus 0.91 inches last year. Even though the ground was probably more deeply frozen last year and there was heavier precipitation this year, the difference in the flows reinforces the notion of a severe I&I problem.

TSS averaged 5 lbs/day and BOD 12 lbs/day compared to 3 lbs and 13 lbs respectively for the same period last year. Removal rates for TSS and BOD averaged 96% and 91% vs. permit limits of 50% and 30%.

Shore Road Pump Station: Work to install check valves and expansion joints still on hold due to cold and inclement weather; Moore Septic prefers temps to be above freezing. Conditions are discussed with the contractors each Wednesday; hopefully work will proceed next week.

Pump Station No. 1 (PS1): Another alarm at PS1 last week. The discharge line was frozen again above the check valve; a heater we had placed had tripped out.  Fernie rethawed the line with the heater. Longer term corrections to consider include insulation, installing heat, recycling water from above the check valve, or removing the check valve completely. Self-sticking signs giving Fernie’s pager number in case of alarm have arrived for the four pump stations and will be attached as soon as the weather is warmer. Although no pump failures are anticipated in the three small pump stations, we should consider including a spare pump in the next budget; there is a spare in the larger station.

Revised Stage II Facilities Plan: We have received no response yet from the DEP on NVC’s revised plan. Once response is received, we will discuss the revised plan with DEP addressing priorities and affordability. McElhaney‘s priorities are 1) fixing the existing primary plant, 2) a scaled-down version of a new outfall and 3), if money permits, replacing old sewer lines where definitive amounts of I&I are found. Although DEP seems firmly wedded to the replacement of the outfall, leakage at the joint of the pipe has consisted only of treated and chlorinated wastewater. 

McElhaney will be contacting engineering consultants to determine interest in bidding on final design; companies include Woodard & Curran, Wright-Pierce, Earthtech, Dirigo, Olver and A.E. Hodson.

Funding Availability for New Facility: McElhaney was informed by Steve McLaughlin that the DEP had requested $17 million in grant money ($2 million earmarked for NVC) but the Governor’s budget had pared this to only $3 million for two projects in Machias and Limestone.

Water Department

Operating Data: Consumption during January averaged 11,829 gpd compared to 11,290 gpd last year. Water quality: the coliform test was negative.

Meter Freeze-up: Last Friday morning Brian Flynn of 30 George Street reported a leak. His service line had frozen and the meter base and the double check valve had cracked. According to Bill Paige, this was the second such occurrence; the Department, therefore, has billed Mr. Flynn for the cost to replace the damaged equipment.

Bluff Road Water Leak/Frog Pond Run-off: Also last Friday, Ronald Parkinson reported water running down his driveway, the property located at the end of the new deep water line. Paige and McElhaney investigated on-site, also checked the flow charts and concluded that the water was run-off from the up-gradient frog pond.

Regular Meter Installation Scheduling: Letters have been sent to customers who still need meters requesting that they call the office by March 15^th to schedule a time between April 1^st and April 15^th for Larrabee Bros. and Bill Paige to do the installation. NVC will pay for the installation but Larrabee will bill the customer directly for any extraordinary plumbing. Follow-up letters have been sent to those customers who may need meter pits requesting $1,000 by April 15^th so their installations may be scheduled.

Water Rate Increase: Aqua Maine estimated 25–30 hours work over three months at a cost of $2,200 - $2,600 to assist NVC in filing for a rate increase with the PUC. This seemed expensive.  McElhaney will contact Maine Rural Water, John Fancy, and Malcolm Horton to see whether this cost is appropriate. The PUC allows utilities to recoup the costs of filing within the new rate.

Shore Road I&I from Granston/Norton sewer line: American Water Services estimated a cost of $25,000 to bore out and reline a 150’ section of this pipe. High cost was due to their having to bring equipment from Massachusetts .  This is felt to be too costly.  The affected houses are seasonal; a more cost-effective alternative to relining would be to plug the line with an airbag at the manhole each fall and remove it in the spring. This would cover the period with the highest I & I and could be accomplished without a closed space entry. McElhaney would also like to obtain a weir insert to measure the actual flow at that and other points. Since there appears to be a fairly considerable flow, it would be worth plugging off to determine if this is the major source of the I & I. McElhaney to check into the possibility of borrowing a weir insert.

Sewer rates: While we will not qualify for grant money from the State until our sewer rates reach 2% of mean household income, no action needs to be taken until we hear back from the State on our Facilities plan.

Office Report:

There is an apparent error in the Water Department’s preliminary P & L. The contract operator is given as $1,290 and should be $840. Hoedtke will follow up.

Warrant #10 of the Phase II project was approved by the Overseers, but payment to Dirigo and Sargent & Sargent has been delayed while waiting for monies to be deposited. The final payment of the CDBG grant in the amount of $30,665 finally has been received; the $19,639.73 due from the Town of Northport for the Bluff Road reconstruction has not been received. Hoedtke will work with John Fancy and Northport to resolve this situation before the next Overseers’ meeting.

Shut-off notices were sent to 17 year-round and 22 seasonal residents delinquent in payment of the January billing; letters sent to three customers with payment arrangements. The seasonal residents also received letters requesting that the bills be paid by April 1^st.  Any outstanding bills must be paid in full along with advance payment of two terms of the base rate before water will be turned back on for delinquent customers.

The auction of the Maple Street property was cancelled as the owner has declared bankruptcy in Texas . Hoedtke contacted the attorney handling the bankruptcy to indicate the outstanding balance on the water, sewer and village taxes.

The meeting adjourned at 3:35.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen L. Hoedtke