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NORTHPORT
VILLAGE CORPORATION UTILITIES
DEPARTMENT MINUTES March
9, 2007 Present: David Crofoot (Chairman), Committee Members: Linda Houghton, Judy Roweder, Jane Strauss, Superintendent Dick McElhaney, Office Manager Paul Bartels. Minutes of the previous meeting were approved. (Vote unanimous) Superintendent’s Report Sewer Department January
2007 Effluent Monitoring Data During the month of January there were no license exceptions. See performance table below for comparisons, averages, year-to-date highs and lows, permit limits, and year-to-date violations. Performance
Table
February
Snapshot Full compliance is anticipated for February. Flow averaged only 3600 gpd versus just over 2 inches of precipitation. Maybe an all time low for flow. Sewer
Backup Bill Paige reported a sewer back-up complaint from a resident on the west side of Broadway two houses north of the Clinton St/Broadway intersection. The service connection apparently froze and then thawed out on its own. A next door service connection into the same main sewer line was okay. Water Department January
Data Water consumption in January averaged 18,539 gpd compared to18,139 gpd last month and 12,656 gpd for January 2006. Consumption ranged from a high of 21,182 gpd to a low of 15,901 gpd. Given the vast discrepancy between this January’s usage and last January’s, an investigation was initiated and a calibration error was discovered at the Vault in the recorder’s programming that converts the water meter’s cubic feet readings to the chart’s gallons per day reading. A power outage may have caused the recorder to drop its memory; the recorder was reprogrammed today by Dick McElhaney. Since Belfast bases the NVC water purchases on the water meter readings, this recording error will have no effect on their billings to the NVC. Distribution line chlorine residuals averaged .04 ppm compared to .05 ppm last month. The recommended level is less than .20 ppm. Instantaneous daily peak flows averaged 45 gpm compared to 47 gpm last month. The one monthly test result for total coliform was negative. Old Business Sewer
Video Videoing dates have been set with Ted Berry for April 18, 19 and/or 20. Freeze
up at Jane Strauss’s Biggest part of freeze up was between the house and the wet well. The wet well also developed a thin coat of ice. An electric heater is still operating to keep it from freezing again until the deep cold is past. Possible solution is to remove the check valve between the wet well and the street. Strauss does not think there is a sag in the line from the house, but she and Moore feel there is not enough pitch and it’s not deep enough. Shore land zoning will not let her bury the pipe any deeper to protect it. The committee offered to video her line in April when the equipment is in town. Billing For 300+ water bills, the Village sent out approximately 40 shut off notices. Had a good response, still about 5-10 people had to be contacted who gave a promise to pay. Therefore no shut offs were physically done. Two people will have payment plans set up. Two who are seasonal will not have their water reconnected in the spring until full payment with two terms ahead is paid. Committee
agreed that Smith and Hoikala should stop accruing water charge because they
have been shut off for a long period of time and they don’t seem to be willing
or able to make any payments.
They will continue to receive sewer bills. New Business University
of Maine Research Project Students were presented with the existing system and asked for their input for improvements. Will be meeting again in the spring. Financials David Crofoot said, once the audit is done, he would like to move the surplus for the year into the Phase III account as budgeted. He would also like to have the sums of money that the Village voted for Phase III expenses moved from the General Fund into the Phase III account. The Department is trying to build up a war chest which will allow us to take on projects to remediate serious I&I problems. The Department is required to clear any such projects with the Overseers. Sewer Application Lee and Linda Houghton –Application to build a foundation beneath their house on Broadway. No increase in bedrooms so no anticipated increase in sewer input. The building service will be replaced. Application VOTED - approved. Linda Houghton recused. Will be reviewed by the Overseers. Next meeting April 13, 2007 Motion to adjourn the meeting by Jane Strauss, seconded by David Crofoot. (Voted) Meeting adjourned at 3:30 PM |