Water & Sewer Commission

Town of Mount Airy Water and Sewer Commission Meeting Minutes September 2, 2020 Commission members in attendance: Chair Dick Swanson, Council Liaison Larry Hushour, John Cherry, Mark Moxley and Ron Runkles. The meeting was called to order at 7:05. Gina Campanile also attended the meeting. The meeting was virtual due to closing of Town Hall. Minutes: Mark Moxley moved to approve the minutes of the July 8, 2020 meeting. Seconded by John Cherry and the motion passed unanimously. Old Business: 1. Rainfall/WWTP Update: The Waste Water Treatment Plant flow in July was 659k gpd which is a marked improvement from unusually high flows over the last 24 months while rainfall was above normal. 2. Public Education: Source Water Protection & Stormwater System – Video/Print/Presentation ideas - PSA initiative is on hold during the virus 3. Emergency Response Team: When available, the W&S will review the Emergency Management Team's proposed process to make water available to residents in the surrounding area during emergencies. 4. Establish a minimum reserve amount for emergencies: At their August meeting the Town Council passed the resolution establishing a $1.3 million W&S reserve minimum balance to ensure that adequate funds are available to meet a water and/or sewer emergency. 5. Review of “Water Use Limitation Tiers”: John Cherry recommended that the W&S use a three tiered approach to managing water during drought or other emergency conditions; Green - Normal, Yellow – Voluntary Restrictions, Red – Mandatory Restrictions. He also outlined state, county, and local sources of information and tracking systems that could be used to help determine which level is appropriate during drought conditions. Ron Runkles mention and the members agreed that the emphasis should be placed on local information over more broad measures when assessing any response to drought conditions. New Business: 1. Expanded Polystyrene Ban – HB 109 Implementation Effective July 1, 2020: Dick Swanson mentioned that the WRCC recommended that each municipality post a flier on their website. The flier explains the ban imposed on businesses prohibiting the purchase of polystyrene on July 1st and prohibiting the use of polystyrene products on October 1st . The WRCC secretary will forward an electronic copy of the flier. 2. MDE's Assessment of the County/Municipal MS4 Permit Performance: The good news is that Mount Airy met all permit requirements for both the Carroll and Frederick sides of Town. Please see the attached Carroll County/Mt Airy Permit Stormwater Accomplishments December 2019 spreadsheet for details. Other Business: Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:58 W&S Meeting: The next W&S meeting is October 7, 2020 either in Town Hall or on-line at 7:00 pm. Minutes prepared by Dick Swanson, Secretary