Water & Sewer Commission

Town of Mount Airy Water and Sewer Commission Meeting Minutes May 5, 2021 Commission members in attendance: Chair Dick Swanson, John Cherry, Dave Difonzo, Mark Moxley and Ron Runkles. Larry Hushour was an excused absences. The meeting was called to order at 7:00. Assistant Town Engineer Chaslyn Derexson also attended. The meeting was virtual due to closing of Town Hall. Minutes: Ron Runkles moved to approve the minutes of the April 7, 2021 meeting. Seconded by Dave Difonzo and the motion passed unanimously. Old Business: 1. Rainfall/WWTP Update: Dick Swanson stated that the WWTP flow exceeded the well production again during April (WWTP flow was 822,900 gpd versus well production of 698,430 gpd during a month when rainfall was slightly below average). Infiltration causes some of the high flow. Funding to line several high infiltration sections of sewer pipes is included in the FY 2022 budget. 2. Senate Bill 195/House Bill 0022 – PFAS Chemical Prohibitions & Requirements: The PFAS bill failed to get out of committee in the Maryland House or Senate and never reached the floor for a vote. Dick Swanson pointed out that at the May meeting of the Water Resource Coordination Council representatives from the Maryland Department of the Energy will discuss MDE's plans to address PFAS issues. He also informed the commission that the Town does not test its water system for PFAS levels. 3. Memorandum of Agreement – Stormwater Remediation: Although the next generation stormwater management permit has not been issued by MDE, the FY 2022 budget will include the agreed to municipal funding of $47,320 for Mount Airy's portion to meet a Carroll County wide annual 2% per year remediation goal of impervious surfaces. The amount was previously approved by the WRCC. 4. On-Line Payment of Water Bills: The commission discussed the next step in its review of the water billing system processing fee. There are several methods currently available to pay the quarterly water bill without incurring an administrative fee including paying in person/night deposit box, mail in payment or on-line banking payment. The members plan to create a press release explaining the system and available payment methods after further discussions with the billing clerk. 5. Water Meter Replacement: The FY 2022 budget includes $900,000 for water meter placement with the recommended funding coming from the $7.9 million American Rescue Plan award. It was noted that $963,000 was included in the budget to replace the 6 inch water main on Center Street with a 12 inch main to help balance the water levels in the three water towers during times of heavy usage and/or an emergency. New Business: 1. Should The Commission Meet in July: By consensus the members agreed to cancel the July 7th W&S meeting since several members plan to be out of town during the 4th of July week. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:40. The next W&S meeting is June 2, 2021 at 7pm.