Water & Wastewater Commission

Water/Wastewater Commission Meeting Minutes October 10th, 2018 J.A. Provencial Building 1200 Rindge Rd, Fitchburg MA 01420 A meeting for the City of Fitchburg Water/Wastewater Commission was held on Wednesday October 10, 2018 at the J.A. Provencial Building, 1200 Rindge Rd, Fitchburg MA, 01420. The meeting commenced at 5:02 pm Members present: Lenny Laakso, Commissioner DPW Rick Healey, Chairman George Siener, Commission Member Joshua Bedarian Commission Member Steven Bodurtha, Commission Member Others present: John M. Deline., Deputy Commissioner of Water Jeff Murawski., Deputy Commissioner of Wastewater Jennifer Lambert Principal Clerk Water Office Mr. Richard Bergeron (132 Clarendon St, Fitchburg MA) Members absent: Mike McLaughlin, Commission Member Item #1 Approval of last meetings minutes: Motion to approve minutes from September 12, 2018 meeting was granted by unanimous vote. Item #2 Public Forum: Mr. Richard Bergeron of 132 Clarendon St. spoke about his high bill for the last couple of months. The property has been showing a potential leak when meter reading is done each month. Spoke to homeowner about this issue numerous times. Homeowner is adamant that there are no leaks at the property. FWD went and changed the meter head and checked meter to make sure it wasn’t faulty. Once meter head was changed, we did head back to the property to profile meter to see if water is still running and if it is, when it’s running. We also checked both toilets at the property and did find that one has been leaking. Mr. still feels that meter is faulty and would like it sent out to be tested. The Commission did let homeowner know that if meter comes back and there is nothing wrong with it, then he will be charged the testing fee and also his bill will owed in its entirety. Mr. agreed. Item #3 Water Division:  John informed the Commission about the land projects in the watershed areas. Our last property, the Bomba property in Princeton has backed out. However, we have been granted a 6 month extension from the Forest Legacy program and a property owner from Westminster has approached the city about a parcel of land that is in our Mare Meadow Watershed that she has had for sale for some time now. Hopefully, this will work out and next month we will have the commission vote on it.  With the heavy rains recently, john told the Commission that we are still experiencing high color/turbidity. The color numbers are still high being in the 40 range, we would like to see numbers in the teen range. We have been using more chemicals to treat the water, been backwashing and also replacing filters. We have not had to shut this plant down though which is a plus. Hopefully we do not get much more rain.  The evaluations for our RFP on the water meter upgrade project have been completed and sent to purchasing. We are now ready to open the cost proposals, which we will take a look at tomorrow and hopefully by next week we can award it. We will have to also take a look at our rules and regulations line up with the type of metering technology that we are going with.  The Commission was also made aware of our new Cross Connection Program and backflow prevention device software. Backflow prevention devices are mandated by the state to be tested once a year. This new software will streamline the process, and also help with compliance mandated by MA DEP. Customers can, and we do tell them that they can have anyone do the test as long as they are a licensed Cross Connection Tester and send us the paperwork after. Our fee for this test is $85.00. Most private companies charge between $125 - $150 dollars for this test.  John gave an overview on the frequency and type of water main breaks/service line leaks that the city has endured over the past couple of years. Considering the size of our system we do not have a lot of breaks. In 2017, the city dealt with 10 water main breaks, and 24 service line leaks which could be the city side or the homeowner’s side. In 2016, we had 18 breaks and 40 service line leaks. In 2015, we had 25 breaks and 55 service line leaks. Item #4 Wastewater Division:  Jeff gave a quick update regarding the SSU Project. The project is currently 72% to substantial completion with a substantial completion date of May 2019. The project is 61% to final completion with a final completion date of October of 2019. The project is also 75% of the contract price (thru the end of September 2018). For work completed over the last month, or work planned for the upcoming month, please (see attachment).   Status update on City Code Chapter 147 & “Rules and Regulations” was also given. Jeff informed the Commission that Arcadis Engineers are moving forward with this. We have a few workshop meetings left with other city departments. Once we get their feedback, we will incorporate that feedback into an updated Regs and Ordinance. At that point, the consultant will come and make a presentation to the Commission.  TIghe & Bond to also come to November 14th Commission Meeting to present the first stage in the CWMP, which is future planning on sewer needs for not only Fitchburg, but also the communities we serve outside our City. This plan will cover all areas sewered, also including unsewered areas, septic areas as well as looking out into population projection for the next 20 years.  Weston & Sampson Engineers, our consultants for the WWMP (Wastewater Management Plan) part of our Consent Decree, have been analyzing the City’s sewer meter flows and have been reviewing the Hydraulic Capacity Assessment over the past month. This Assessment will be submitted to Mass DEP and EPA which is tied into the Hydraulic Model Report that was already sent to them a few months ago. They are also drafting a CSO which is a long term control plan. Our sewer separation project has made huge strides, going from about 26 miles of combined sewer with about 9 miles to go.  Green Infrastructure continues to be a great opportunity with combining Science Technology, Engineering and Math within the Fitchburg Public Schools. We had a kickoff meeting on September 21, 2018. We project pitched an implementation of a Green Infrastructure BMP learning laboratory on the grounds of the McKay Campus. The principal was very receptive and will reach out to Fitchburg State as they are the owners of McKay Campus. This is an exciting opportunity for all involved. Item #5 Other Business:  The Water/Wastewater Commission will next meet at 5:00 pm. on Wednesday November 14, 2018 at the J.A. Provencial Building, 1200 Rindge Rd. Fitchburg MA, 01420. Meeting adjourned at 6:06 P.M.  WORK COMPLETED OVER LAST MONTH INCLUDED: • 1st Stage Primary Gallery o Installed new HVAC equipment including Air Handling unit and exhaust fan. o Installing conduit and wire for HVAC controls. • 2nd Stage Primary Gallery o Installing conduit and wire in gallery and electric room areas. o Installed new plug valves on RAS suction and discharge piping. o Tate Andale corrected programming issues with Settled Effluent strainer and provided means to manually operate system. • 2nd Stage Secondary Clarifier #1: o Completed collector installation and checkout by vendor. (…Issue with access panel at base of center column to be resolved). o Completed Fiber Reinforced Plastic baffle and weir installation. • 2nd Stage Aeration Tank, Side 1: o Installed new buried 16 inch RAS piping and plug valves to the tank. o Installed RAS mixing box and SS piping within the influent channel o Vendor checkout of Invent mixers and EDI air system. o Existing effluent gate rehabbed and new influent gate checked out by vendor. • Blower Building: o Installing conduit and light fixtures. • Chlorine Building: o Completed install of new phosphorus analyzer….however filtering system will need more attention. • Chlorine Contact Tank: o Installed new influent gate to the North Chlorine Contact Tank, but not currently grouted in. • Site Work: o Bypassing 2nd Stage flow around 2SAT influent channel to complete RAS mixer box and piping installation. o Insulating Low Pressure Air piping to 2nd Stage near Blower Building. • Equipment delivered to site in last month:  o Air Filter Ductwork for Blower intake. PLANNED WORK OVER NEXT MONTH INCLUDES: • Division 2- Sitework o Complete 16" Plug valve and piping replacement on western side of influent channel. o Break down bypass & move bypass to Main Flow Distribution Structure. o Begin demolition of existing launders in 2nd Clarifier, Number 2. o Demolition of existing Low Pressure Air piping and diffuser system in 2nd Stage Aeration Tank, Side 2. o Demo existing blowers 9 and 10 in Blower Building. o Demo existing underground Low Pressure Air piping to 2nd Stage Aeration Tank, Side 2. • Division 3- Concrete o Start concrete formwork for weir wall extensions in 2nd Stage Aeration Tank, Side 2. • Division 4- Masonry o Install new CMU wall in blower building after demo of blowers 9 and 10. • Division 5- Misc. Metals, Structural Steel o Complete installation of Stainless Steel Return Activated Sludge Mixing Box in Second Stage Aeration. o Install SS Baffles in MFDS (mid-October). * also perform repairs to bypass slide gate while this tank is open during bypass operation • Division 9- Painting o Prep work for cementitious coating in 2nd Stage Aeration Tank, Side 2. o Install cementitious coatings in 2nd Stage Aeration Tank, Side 2. • Division 11/15- Process, Equipment, Mechanical o Second Stage Gallery  Continue replacement of flanged piping as part of WCD-21 o Second Stage Aeration Tank 1  Demo existing Stainless Steel Low Pressure Air piping and diffuser system in 2nd Stage Aeration Tank, Side 2. o Blower Building   Install new aeration blowers 2AB-3 and 2AB-4.  Install associated Stainless Steel Low Pressure Air Piping.  Insulate interior blower piping. • Division 15- HVAC o Install ductwork in First Stage Gallery and Second Stage Gallery. o Install Air Handling Unit No. 2 and Heat Exchanger No. 2 in Second Stage Gallery. • Division 16- Electrical o Install conduits and wire in Second Stage Gallery. o Demo blowers and VFDs 9 and 10. o Install conduits and wire to Remote Input/Output panels at Second Stage Aeration Tanks. o Start on conduits in Primary Gallery.