Water Superintendent Laurie Ruszala
You can also find the copy on the Town of Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/public-works/news/town-council-presentation-water-system-2152017
cost estimate to replace Beaver St Connector would be about $10-20M
every gallon we don't send to the Charles River treatment plant we save money on
challenging the MS4 permits with a consortium of communities
reconstruction of retention ponds; for example, Lockewood Dr
DPW built the retention basis on Lockewood
permit requires less than 65 gal/person per day
since 2001 fixed 750 leaks to water system
when the ban went into effect, for the most part people did obey and our pumping dropped
photo to be added of the raw water before treatment is astounding
$6M for a new treatment plant for wells 3 and 6 coming down the road (soon)
wells are close to each other so they can be pumped together and use one treatment plant for both
Populatic St has a site that hasn't been fully approved, we are not asking for more water, we are asking for flexibility to pull from other areas within the Town
3 and 6 are registered wells and pre-date the permitting process
permitted for 3.45 reduced to 3.14 MGD
received a number of grants, right behind the City of Worcester which is amazing
Pfeffer - How soon do we need the treatment plant?
Cantoreggi - soon, but not tomorrow, working on the numbers, 2-3 years to be online
Nutting - need to fund within 12-18 months
Padula - do we get any recapture? what is infiltration?
Cantoreggi - Charles River not capable of sending the water back to us. We can show through sewer and water conservation what we are doing but they can't show the improvements as it goes into the Charles
Jones - thanks for bringing this forward, how has our conditions to improve?
Ruszala - no, it takes time for the water to get into the ground
Jones - I think we need to get the treatment plant underway
Ruszala - we are getting better readings with the new meters, old readers fail and read low, folks only call when the meter reads high
Jones - what is your opinion on current capacity?
Cantoreggi - we are not at peak, we have decent daily flows, the peaks are what can hurt us. Supporting the fire flow is our concern, Schedule work for May as our wettest time of year and what happened last year, the drought came when we were doing work on some of our key producing wells.
Dellorco - we need to be cautious, with well 6 back online that would help
Ruszala - we need to change the pumps and well field to regain the full capacity of 3 and 6
Nutting - once we get the price we'll get a 20 year bond and get a rate increase, could be a 10-15% increase in the cost. At the end of the day, water is the most important thing. It could be 8 years between rate increases
Nutting - some home son Green St, and some off Populatic. Norfolk collects and pays our rate.
Sewer gets a flat rate for those with private wells
Sewer bill is based upon the water use, simple mathematics calculations
At one time, we had a permit to purchase water from Millis?
It would cost us significant to do so; we don't have the right, They can sell to us
most under our control is treatment plant in
second is to add a new well, could cost a $1m to have someone say no
third would be to spend money to add infrastructure to purchase from Millis
Water restrictions
Ruszala - to include private wells for a severe drought
over a thousand registered wells in Franklin
about 225 are for irrigation only
would only impact the private users during the full ban
Cantoreggi
when we go to a full band, we should have them join us, we are all drawing from the same aquifer, no matter the depth of the well, same aquifer
what is more important, the grass or the drinking water?
had a drought in 2007, so this is the second time
conservation, not a water ban
John Redwine, 9 Mapletree Lane
I understand it is the good for everyone, once you start hard to know when it will stop
Allen,
also private well owner, agree wholeheartedly, happy to know just the ban not the restriction
exception from the provision for the golf course
also an exemption for the Town, mis-aligned public valued
lawn versus irrigation discrepancies
I worry about the horticulture, the things that help the oxygenation we use
worry about the whole system effect, a fundamental balance
not creating a false comfort
2 things would love to see more about irrigation systems
many not following water sense system
moving thought process within the Town
Franklin Country Club gets their irrigation water from Wrentham
they have their own permits with the State
regarding exemptions for the Town, we did stop watering the fields
there are fields that for player safety that are watered
we also do have water sense systems
Kit Brady
really appreciate the work
wasn't aware of the facts
I don't consider us part of the water problem but part of the solution
as we are not effecting the problem, not convinced that the private wells are drawing from a common aquifer; private wells drilled at a different depth, has someone that diagram
not a hydroligist did research in the last couple of days
MA law reference
do see plenty of lawns that are wet in the mornings that could be enforced to help with compliance
Patalano, 11 Newall Drive
don't think it is necessary to regulate 225 wells
Bissanti
a drop in the bucket, I don't see enforcement
history of the wells in Franklin, a blunderous decision in 89-90 had to put in wells
expensive to maintain, irrigation system but stopped use and saves on landscaping as lawn cuts less frequently
Ruszala -
the main complaint, was how do they get water and I don't
Dellorco
I got caught up in the water moratorium too, I spent over $10K, and a recent $2500 for a new pump
Jones
the most simplistic way to put this, it is almost unmanageable, what this boils down to is what folks should and shouldn't do; folks have a clearer idea after tonight
everybody get on board with a basic understanding on what to do if we have a repeat of what happened last summer
a significant drought would be a public health issue
We have moved to a moderate level, it is recovering and the snow hasn't got there yet, but there is improvement
Bissanti - is there a rule about owning down and up
Cerel - other town have done this, it can be done. Owner rights are seldom absolute. It is an oversimplification
Would anyone object to posting that you have a well?
I think we can regulate a new irrigation system for better usage
DPW - we do water enforcement, we do public education, we do warning and we did one fine
we Google maps from neighbors, I don't like being water police and snow police but we do do that, we are active, more education than fining
Cerel - the bylaw is a re-write so even if we omit the privcate wells, it should go fardward
