WEST WARWICK TOWN COUNCIL ACTING AS

SEWER COMMISSION

 

MEETING MINUTES

 

DATE:  TUESDAY, October 18, 2022     TIME:  6:00 P.M.

 

LOCATION:  TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS

1170 MAIN STREET

WEST WARWICK, RI  02893

 

 

A.        Meeting called to order at 6:06 p.m. by Town Council President Gosselin

 

B.        Prayer led by Councilman Messier

 

C.        Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilman Licciardi

 

D.        Roll Call

Members present:

Council President Gosselin

Council Vice President Williamson

Councilman Messier

Councilman Licciardi

Councilman Bourget  (Absent)

 

Participating communities:

Town of Coventry (not present)

Town of Scituate  (not present)

City of Cranston   (not present)

            City of Warwick    (not present)

Town of West Greenwich (not present)

 

E.         Quorum on record declared

 

F.         Minutes of previous meeting

 

SC2022-32: 

 

RESOLVED, that the minutes of the September 20, 2022 Town Council meeting, acting as the Sewer Commission, is hereby accepted.

 

Resolution SC2022-32 was moved by Council Vice President Williamson and seconded by Councilman Messier.  All in favor, none opposed and unanimously voted to accept.

 

G.        Reports

 

G-1:  Superintendent’s Report – September 2022

 

·   Average daily flow was 3.8 mgd with a maximum of 14.2 mgd and a minimum of 1.3 mgd.

·   CBOD removal was 99% at 2.2 mg/l. 

·   TSS removal was 99% at 2.5 mg/l.

·   Total Phosphorus was 0.06 mg/l. 

·   Total Nitrogen was 5.1 mg/l. 

·   Sludge to Synagro was 307 tons. Sludge to the Landfill was 161 tons. (One Week that the Synagro facility was down they had to go to the Landfill) Total Sludge 468 tons.

  

·   There was 1 public line block up on East Greenwich Avenue.

 

·   There was 5 private line block up on:

Peters Avenue

Garnet Street

Terra Marr Drive

Cedar Drive

Oriole Avenue

 

·   There were 17 odor complaints:

1.     (4) Providence Street (same residence)

2.     (10) Fernwood Drive (same residence)

3.     Victory Avenue

4.     Wakefield Street

5.     Providence Street

 

 

·   There were no facility violations.

 

·   Mr. Chapdelaine mentioned we had 17 odor complaints and asked Mr. Hoak to discuss what complaints came in, and what we have done and also what we are planning to do.

·   Mr. Hoak explains when we get the odor complaints we respond very quickly especially during the day. We often try to contact the person making the complaint.  We drive around the neighborhood close to the area trying to detect odors. Mr. Hoaks states of the 17 complaints that they responded to, we were not able to detect any odor what so ever.

·   Mr. Hoak said that going forward they are in talks with DEM on doing a study. We would be hiring a third party to help with the consultation.

·   Council Vice President Williamson asked if there would be a cost associated with that. Mr. Hoak states we are still in negations with that to find out what DEM exactly wants us to do with the study.

·   Councilman Licciardi mentioned that he realized that most of these are coming from two addresses. He states “they have to be smelling something, or they are not”. He asked if they are smelling something and we go out there and don’t smell anything, it’s either their lying or you just happened to not be there at the time.

·   Councilman Licciardi asked “What can we do about this?” He states this is pretty high, and he doesn’t think we have ever been in this position where we had more than half a dozen at one time. Also, a lot of time it was zero for the longest time. Councilman Licciardi asked what are we doing different?

·    Mr. Geremia states one of the things that the staff has been doing once an odor complaint comes in is the staff immediately goes and contacts the individual. They look at the treatment plant to see what process we are doing at the time. He doesn’t think that they are fibbing about the smell but sometimes the odors come and go and sometimes there are odors that linger and will last forever. But that’s only when you’re in the building. Years ago, the odor would stay with you all day if you left the building but we are not there anymore, its random. He explains what we are trying to do is identify what process is being done, such as removing slug, taking dumpsters from the headworks out of the facility. All those things contribute to odor because we are not in a controlled environment. Mr. Geremia explains a few sceneries of where odor is contained. Because of the number of complaints DEM has requested that a third party be instructed on this facility to determine where it is. They recognize that it has changed, and are going over it with Jeff to see what has changed. He mentioned they are investigating it and that DEM does want it analyzed that way if they identify it we can correct it.

·    Mr. Geremia also states that a common area is the well ends, and they do generate an odor but he can not pin point and say that is the odor. He said but it has been in the past.

·   Councilman Licciardi asked Mr. Hoak if he was to call and say I smell this odor and you were to ask me what it smells like, he would say it’s not roses. He also asked if the residents are able to give you an answer on what it smells like? Mr. Hoak states that they have described it similarly and that as far as the treatment facility it doesn’t smell like human feces. He explains that from the collection system you have to imagine all the flow coming to our plant and mixes from industry and commercial businesses. Its not going to smell like human feces, so that points to something else going on and that’s what we are trying to investigate. Mr. Hoak points out we ask to public to call as soon as they smell it so we can go out and smell it ourselves.

·   Councilman Licciardi said he has also talked to others that haven’t called and live off Providence Street up the hill near the gas station and say they have smelled it. It last’s 5 to 10 minutes and then disappears, so they don’t call.

·   Councilman Messier states he would assume that out of 17 there are probably many more. He said out of every call there is probably 4 out of 5 people that don’t call and wouldn’t even know there is a way to call.

·   Mr. Geremia said what happens usually is that it’s something that comes for 5 or 10 minutes and goes away, it could be wind directions. He explained that years ago they did put something to see what way the wind is going. He states that odors are very subjective and it is very difficult to pin point an odor two blocks up the street, when there is a treatment plant there it is easy to say that is where it’s coming from.

·   Councilman Licciardi asked when the study is being done.

·   Mr. Geremia said we have to put a schedule together from the DEM, and believes it’s 60 days. They are going to allow us an extension of the 60 days because we have to procure the consultant to do the work and it’s probably 60 to 90 days to get someone on board to get the study done. They just can’t hire someone because of the procurement process and time.

·   Councilman Licciardi asked if there is a line item in the budget for this. Mr. Germania said no. Council Vice-President Williamson stated that is why she asked about the cost. Councilman Licciardi asked where is the money coming from?

·   Councilman Licciardi asked if our rates are going to go up again. Mr. Germania said no, but they are going to have find money somewhere else in the budget. He said he could not speak for Jeff or the Council, but Jeff and himself have talked about Capital Items being purchased at the end of the budget.

 

 

G-2:     Industrial Pretreatment Program – September 2022

 

Significant Industrial Users

·Pharmaron Manufacturing Services (US) LLC. Submitted a self-monitoring report which indicated compliance. They notified the program that they changed the product line. It will be similar to the product line they have now but they have to notify us of this change. We will work with them through this change process.

·Annual inspections were conducted for Warwick Ice Cream and Amtrol. Warwick Ice Cream is pretty much consistent over the years, but occasionally will have an oil and grease violation because they make ice cream. They haven’t made any major changes. Amtrol made some management changes and they are also changing their production line. They are looking at different types of tank, it hasn’t gone into full product yet when it does we will be monitored that operation.

·207 & 211 Quaker Lane submitted an O&M Manual however, their O&M manual did not contain the sewer plans. This development was 3 building that are now being divided, the company has requested a waiver to avoid separating of sewers with the two operations. The company has provided a consent agreement to allow this construction to continue.

 

Private Wastewater Treatment Facilities    

 

·This month we looked at Showcase Cinema on Cowesett Corner and Marketplace Center these were private lines that were cleaned, we did noticed there was a grease build up in the Showcase Cinema line and also where one of the pumps had failed. They are replacing the pump. We believe the grease build up is from the new additions to the complex.

·The other two lines at Cowesett Corner and Marketplace were found to be in good conditions.

 

 

Food Service

 

·  Nine Food Services were inspected. Two in Warwick and seven in West Warwick. All of them with the exception of Texas Roadhouse, Boomerangs, and Condesa Mexican Restaurant were found to be in compliance.

·  Texas Roadhouse and Boomerangs we found the oil and grease recovery system was over loaded and was giving a Notice of Violation and was required to clean it.

·  The Condesa Mexican Restaurant there was a Notice of Violation. The owner had removed the approved grease recovery system and installed a system that was not approved. We are working with them to get them back online.

 

New Construction

 

 

·24 Quaker Lane completed the installation as well as 37 Washington Street.

 

 

Plan Reviews

 

·Plans were reviewed for the property of 31 James P. Murphy Highway. Plans were submitted and installed the backwater valve and cleanout and test locations.

·The submission for 282 Pulaski Street for commercial condominium did not include the commercial application fee, we did review the plans and sent a letter regarding the plan application and waiting for the application fee.

·Steve’s Bounce House in Coventry which is in the Centre of New England. Submission did not meet the requirements and a letter was issued.

           

G-3:  Financial Report

 

·Year-to-Date Operating and Debt Expenses for Fiscal Year 2023 through September 30th totaled $3,952,841 which is 42% of the annual budget.  In September we paid one of our two bond payments for the year. It’s a larger bond payment of 2.6 million dollars.

·Fiscal Year 2023 Sewer Usage and Industrial collections through September 30th totaled $3,870,028 which is 43% of the total billed.

·Fiscal Year 2023 Sewer Assessment collections through the end of September totaled $164,002 which is 66% of the total billed.

·Overtime for the month of September was $12,849 which is 9% of the annual budget. Two operator positions were vacant for most of the month resulting in a saving of $8,144 in budget code 2000-5110 which is Sewer Department Salaries. FY 2023 Year-to-Date overtime is $36,940 which is 26% of the annual budget. Year to date savings in sewer departments salaries line item is $26,988 which is helping to offset the facilities overtime expenses. In late September two new employees began work filing the vacant operator positions and as September 26th the facility is fully staffed.

·Year-to-date Sludge removal costs through September totaled $205,193 which is 31% of the annual budget. As the Superintendent stated in his report there was one week in September we had to offload at Resource Recovery due to Synagro having processing issues at there facility. Overall offloading at Resource Recovery since July 1^st has resulted in an increased year-to-date expense of $29,703 verses what the facility would have spent if we had been able to offload all weeks at Synagro.

·Cash and Investments through the end of September totaled $3,254,281.

·Mr. Corrente asked if he could take a couple of minutes to go ahead and make the council aware that the governor had expanded the LIHEAP (Low-income Heating Energy Assistant Program) to include LIHWAP (Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program) which allowed folks to be eligible to have their sewer and water bills paid as well. He spoke to West Bay Community Action last week and there are 944 residents-households in Town that are eligible for that program and to date only 6 have taken advantage. 

·Councilman Messier asked how can they sign up for this? Mr. Corrente said they have to be eligible or qualify for the LIHEAP program. They can reach out to the West Bay Community Center. Councilman Messier said he has the information in an email about this, and asked if there was a dead line for this. Mr. Corrente said the LIHWAP will not extend indefinitely but the last he knew it would extend into 2023.

·Council Vice President Williamson asked how many households were eligible. Mr. Corrente stated 944 households and only 6 are taking advantage of it.

·A resident spoke and stated the application requires a person to be delinquent.  Mr. Corrente thanked him for telling him and he would look into it.

·Council President Gosselin asked if there was any way to get a list of those residents. Mr. Corrente said he would reach out to West Bay to obtain it.

·Councilman Messier said he would forward the information to the rest of the council regarding LIHEAP, in case they want to let any of their constituent know or the Police Department in case they want to forward it out too.

 

H.        Resolutions

 

SC2022-33  Purchase and Installation of Storage Shelving

 

RESOLVED, per recommendation by the Superintendent of Sewers to authorize the purchase and installation of storage shelving for the amount of ($8,300.00) Eight-thousand three-hundred dollars to Yankee Supply Company, 2140 Hartford Avenue, Johnson, RI 02919

 

Resolution moved by Council Vice President Williamson and seconded by Councilman Messier.

 

All in favor, none opposed and unanimously voted to accept.

 

 

 

J.         Public Comment

·No public comment

 

K.        Adjourn

 

A motion to adjourn was made by Councilman Messier and seconded by Councilman Licciardi.  All in favor, none opposed and unanimously voted to accept. Adjourned at 6:29pm.

 

 

 

 

 

To view this meeting go to:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6a5AKkU_XWQPoV26Xmc0qA