Water & Sewer Commission

Town of Mount Airy Water and Sewer Commission Meeting Minutes April 3, 2019 Commission members in attendance: Dick Swanson, Council Liaison Peter Helt, Mark Moxley, Karl Munder and Ron Runkles. The meeting was called to order at 7:02 pm. Minutes: Ron Runkles moved to approve the minutes of the March 6, 2019 meeting. Seconded by Mark Moxley and the motion passed unanimously. Old Business: Stormwater Management Update: Carroll County, with the approval of the Town, will award the $73,000 contract to perform the engineering for the East/West Stormwater Pood construction. The estimated cost of the Twin Ridge dam restoration is approximately $1 million and should be included in the FY 2020 budget. The East/West stormwater pond construction approximates $600 to $800 thousand with work starting sometime beyond the FY 2019 budget cycle. Rainfall/WWTP Flow: Dick Swanson distributed copies of the current WWTP flow data and rainfall totals for the past 30 days. WWTP flow averaged over 1.2 million gpd even though the rainfall was not significantly above normal. Inflow and infiltration continue to account for most of the excess WWTP flow due in part to the ground being saturated It was pointed out that, if the trend continues, the Town may lack the available sewer capacity to meet the objectives of the Vision Plan. Maryland Legislative Updates: Dick Swanson briefly updated the status of four bills before the Maryland legislature; House Bill 417 public notification of sewer overflows and WWTP bypasses – Passes House, Senate Bill 505 reporting requirements for environmental violations – Passed amendments to be worked out, House Bill 472 a constitutional amendment to expand environmental rights – Unfavorable recommendation, and Senate Bill 267 establish a task force to study/recommend reductions in debris entering stormwater inlets - Failed in Committee New Business: Sewer Discharge & Fats Oils & Grease (FOG) Update: In March the MAPD responded to a sewage disposal truck illegally dumping sewage into a Town manhole. The W&S decided to review the code to determine if changes were necessary. The W&S concluded that between civil and criminal remedies, no recommended changes to Chapter 91 civil action are needed. However, Chapter 91-36 (Violations and penalties) sets the fine for a violation at $150 per day whereas Chapter 115-1 (Fines & Penalties) sets the fine at $50. The W&S will bring this to the attention of the elected officials and recommend that Chapter 115-1 be updated. In addition the W&S recommended that (a) the chair ask the Maintenance Department about how cost associated with cleanup and damages from violations is collected for possible recovery and (b) the chair update the status of food service establishment filing of the required Grease Control Device Registration form. Other Business: Environmental Stewardship in Carroll County: Dick Swanson passed out copies of the 2019 bi-annual brochure outlining the Carroll County's programs of environmental stewardship throughout the county. Adjournment: Dick Swanson moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Karl Munder and passed by unanimous vote. The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm. W&S Meeting: The next W&S meeting is May 1, 2019 in Town Hall at 7:00 pm. Prepared by Dick Swanson, Secretary