A.     MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 3:08 P.M. BY COUNCILMAN LICCIARDI

B.     ROLL CALL

MEMBERS PRESENT

Councilman Licciardi

Councilwoman Williamson

Acting Town Manager Colonel Mark Knott (Absent)

Superintendent Harrison Songolo (Absent)

Assistant Superintendent Jeff Chapdelaine

Director of Administration Christine Suvajian

James Geremia, James Geremia and Associates

C.     QUORUM ON RECORD DECLARED

D.     MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

•     The January 7, 2021 minutes were tabled at the February 4, 2021 Sewer Subcommittee meeting and they will remain tabled.

•     A motion was made to approve the February 4, 2021 minutes by James Geremia and seconded by Councilman Licciardi.  All in favor none opposed.

E.      REPORTS

1.     Plant Manager’s Report

The following is taken from the Plant Manager’s report data through March 18, 2021.

•     Average daily flow was 6.0 mgd with a maximum of 11.8 mgd and a minimum of 3.2 mgd.

•     CBOD removal was 96%.  DEM requirement is 85%.

•     TSS removal was 98%.  DEM requirement is 85%.

•     Total Nitrogen is out of season so we are monitor only.

•     Total Phosphorus was 0.33 mg/l.  DEM requirement is 1.0 mg/l. 

•     Sludge to Synagro was 310 wet tons.  There was no sludge sent to the Landfill.

•     There were no public line blockups.

•     There were 2 private line blockups:

1.   Ethel Avenue

2.   Industrial Lane

•     There were no odor complaints or facility violations.

•     Councilman Licciardi stated during most of the previous months we have had to take sludge to the Landfill.  He asked why we didn’t have to this month.  Mr. Chapdelaine replied the plan is to always take the sludge to Synagro but if they are having any issues we have to take it to the Landfill. 

•     Mr. Geremia stated in the previous contract with Synagro they would credit us for the difference we paid when we had to go to the Landfill.  In our current contract with Synagro, we no longer get that credit and we now pay the Landfill directly.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked if we can go back to the terms of the previous contract.  Mr. Geremia replied no because Synagro will not agree to those terms and they are the only game in town so we have no choice.

•     There was some additional discussion about Synagro and composting versus incineration.

•     Councilman Licciardi what happens if the WWTF can’t handle all the flow from all the new developments.  Mr. Geremia replied there have been a lot of improvements at the WWTF.  We now dewater the sludge which significantly decreases the tonnage.  

2.     Director of Administration Report

•     FY21 Year-to-date operating and debt expenses as of March 31st totaled $6,677,316 which is 72% of the annual budget. 

•     FY21 Sewer Use and Sewer Assessment Revenue collected as of March 31st totaled $6,496,520 of which $123,298 represents interest.          

•     Cash and Investment balance as of March 31, 2021 will be reported at the next Sewer Commission meeting.

•     Bids for Plant Chemicals and Analytical Laboratory Work were opened on March 31, 2021.  The bid tabulations are provided.  Some of the chemical prices have increased slightly which is reflected in the budget.

3.     Industrial Pretreatment Program for the month of March 2021

Significant Industrial Users

•     Noramco submitted their self-monitoring report and their parameters were within the permit.

•     Immunex (Amgen) provided notice of a new product line starting next month. This product line should not interfere with our wastewater process.  It is very similar to the current production.

•     Amtrol is in the process of manufacturing a new type of tank which includes an extrusion process. Currently, the wastewater from this process is being collected, sampled and taken off site for disposal. The Program will work with them to issue a new permit based on their new production.

Private Wastewater Treatment Facilities                                

•     East Greenwich Square conducted their line cleaning this month over a two-day period. One of the pumps at the pump station was replaced and they are operating at full capacity. The line was found to be in good condition and the owner will continue to clean the lines three times per year. The portion of the line connecting the old 1149 restaurant was not cleaned as the facility is closed.

•     The Centre of New England submitted inspection reports for their two pump stations. The report shows the pumps are operating under normal conditions and no issues were found.

•     Cowesett Corner has started to collect the maintenance records from all of their tenants. The Property Manager has set up a system to ensure all the tenants are in compliance with the maintenance requirements.

•     There is a new property manager for the Wolohoojian line. The Program contacted the new project manager and informed them of the O&M requirements.  They said they would update the list of contact personnel within 30 days.

•     Showcase Cinema conducted an inspection of their private force main. Due to the length they were not able to inspect the entire force main. They were going to come back and pressure test the line but after further discussion we feared pressure testing might cause a catastrophic failure since it is an older line. Their Engineer will be discussing another way of inspecting the force main.

•     Wasserman located at 1600 Division Street in West Warwick also submitted records for their pump station.

Food Service Inspections

•     T Bonz Grill in Coventry was inspected this month. The inspection showed the inlet tee in the grease trap had fallen off and they will be replacing it

•     Walmart at Centre of New England and Black Oak on Tiogue Avenue submitted trap inspection slips for the month.

•     The engineer for Boomerangs in West Warwick has requested a one-month extension on the Consent Agreement to install a test location. The extension was granted.

Food Service Permits

New permits were issued for the following:

•     Coventry Nutrition at 47 Sandy Bottom Road in Coventry

•     Azo’s Pizza at 250 Cowesett Avenue in West Warwick

Plan Reviews

•     Century Plaza on Sandy Bottom Road in Coventry submitted plans which were in general compliance with the regulations.

New Connections

•     153 James P. Murphy Highway

•     294 Cowesett Avenue

•     JP Morgan Chase began the demolition of the former Hannoush Jewelers.  The plans showed an existing lateral however, during demolition they couldn’t find it so their engineer will be working with us to find a new location for the service.

•     The Program received a re-development plan of 1 Washington Street in West Warwick which was originally a bank and is now being converted to a dental office. The engineer was provided with the forms and requirements. They are a dental category under 40 CFR 441 and they will be inspected.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked about notifications for the pending projects listed on the IPT Report.  Mr. Geremia said it’s usually through the Building Department or through the Program’s engineer.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked about 3 Bridal Avenue project.  Mr. Geremia replied it’s still pending cooperation from the mill owner.  He needs to work with us.

F.      CAPITAL PROJECTS SUMMARY

1.     Centrifuge

•     Mr. Geremia stated the Centrifuge is moving along, they’re installing the screw conveyor.  There will be a change order for unforeseen utilities that were interrupted.  Once we have a number we will bring it before the Subcommittee.  The Centrifuge should be fully operational in about a month.

•     Mr. Geremia stated there will be a change order.  During excavation for the foundation they encountered conduits that were buried in the concrete.  These will need to be relocated.

•     Mr. Geremia stated Mr. Songolo and staff asked to have the conveyors in the back looked at and possibly add additionally conveying to a central location. 

2.     BAF Inflow Pumps 1 & 2

•     Mr. Chapdelaine stated we received a quote from Aqua Solutions for the repair of the pump.  The cost will be approximately $78,000.  Aqua Solutions also provided us with a quote for a new motor and pump which would be approximately $138,000.

•     Mr. Geremia stated the motor should be okay.  Mr. Chapdelaine said a new motor would be approximately $35,000 and a new pump approximately $103,000.  To repair the motor would be approximately $5000.  To repair the pump would be approximately $73,000.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked if both pumps are broken and if so would it be better to repair or replace them.  Mr. Chapdelaine recommended purchasing a new pump and repairing the motor.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked if there would be any issue pairing an old motor with a new pump.  Mr. Geremia replied no, they will be rebuilding the motor.  Mr. Chapdelaine said it would take 25 weeks for the new pump and probably a month or two to repair the old one.

•     Mr. Geremia recommended repairing the pump because this is the spare pump and it may be too risky to wait 25 weeks.  He also recommended setting aside money to buy a new pump so we’ll always have a spare pump.  Mr. Chapdelaine agreed.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked what we have in the budget for this.  Ms. Suvajian replied there is nothing extra in the FY21 budget.  We would have to transfer from Unrestricted Funds depending how much is left in it.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked if we are on budget with the Centrifuge.  Mr. Geremia replied no, we have a change order for approximately $8,000 to 10,000 for electrical work.

•     Ms. Suvajian stated the BAF pump repair was not budgeted for, it just came up in the middle of the year.

•     Councilwoman Williamson and Councilman Licciardi said they would recommend to the Council to go forward with the repair for $78,000 since it is too risky to wait the 25 weeks for a new pump.

•     Ms. Suvajian will inform them where the money will come from for this repair.  Councilman Licciardi said we shouldn’t be afraid to use the Unrestricted Funds, that’s what it’s there for.  He also recommended going forward with the purchase of an additional third pump.

•     Ms. Suvajian stated we also have money coming from the American Rescue Plan that we can utilize.

•     Councilman Licciardi stated we should go before the Council and request to use $103,000 of Unrestricted Funds to purchase an additional third pump. 

•     Ms. Suvajian said by the time the new pump comes in it will be next fiscal year so we may be able to put in the Capital budget.  Councilman Licciardi said if we can order it now and pay for it when it comes in then that’s what we should do.

•     The decision was made to ask the Commission to approve the pump repair in the amount of $78,000 and the purchase of a new pump in the amount of $103,000.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked if we will shelf the new pump when it comes in or use it.  Mr. Geremia recommended removing old pump (# 3) and having it rehabbed and putting the new one in its place.  Mr. Chapdelaine said we should definitely have a spare pump on-hand at all times.

3.     Drain in Sludge Collection Area

•     Mr. Chapdelaine stated asphalt is becoming available now so he is going to coordinate with Nunes Construction to get this project completed.  He believes the quote was in the vicinity of $14,000.  He asked for approval to move forward with this project.

•     Councilwoman Williamson and Councilman Licciardi said if it needs to get done, do it.

•     Mr. Geremia stated the problem with the drain is that solids were getting into it and clogging the drain.  Even if you enlarge the size of the drain, solids will still get in and clog it therefore this repair will not correct the problem.  He said a sock or fabric needs to be put over the drain so solids cannot get into it.  He suggested finding out if there is an obstruction in the pipe.

•     Mr. Chapdelaine stated the drain does work however there is puddling next to the drain holes that they have to squeegee into the drain.  He said they have to revamp the angle of the water going into the drain.

•     Mr. Geremia suggested creating a depression and putting a little manhole or a larger grate in instead of replacing the whole drain.

•     Councilman Licciardi stated he wants this to get fixed but he would like Mr. Chapdelaine to look into this further before spending money to do work that may not solve the problem.  Councilwoman Williamson concurred.

4.     Phenix Avenue Sewer Repair

•     Mr. Geremia he’ll start on this next month.  He’ll be coordinating with KCWA and Don from DPW on their roads and projects.

G.     OLD BUSINESS

1.     Budget Workshop

•     Ms. Suvajian stated the proposed FY22 budget includes no increase in the sewer use rates. 

•     There is about a .2% increase from last year’s budget which is approximately a $16,000 difference.

•     Capital projects in FY21 was $825,000 due to the Centrifuge upgrade.  This year we have approximately $713,700 in Capital projects.  For now, I have approximately $350,000 coming from Unrestricted Funds but hopefully we will be able to use the money from the American Rescue Plan.

•     Mr. Geremia stated the $100,000 for the Primary Clarifier upgrade is not adequate.  He said he and Mr. Chapdelaine discussed it this morning and they feel the amount should be changed to $230,000 for each Clarifier 1 and 2.  Ms. Suvajian stated she will make the adjustment and utilize the full assessment money as well.

•     Mr. Chapdelaine stated the clarifiers are in rough shape so this project would be a high priority.

•     Mr. Geremia asked about the boilers.  He said he thought they were both rehabbed in 2010 after the flood.  Mr. Chapdelaine stated a company came out to fix the boiler in the Dewatering building last year but they didn’t completely fix it so another company was brought in to complete the job.  He said one of the two boilers in the Headworks building is fine the other one we’re having problems with.  So, instead of continuing to put money into these boilers he’s added them to the budget for replacement.  Ms. Suvajian said she will make that adjustment. 

•     Ms. Suvajian stated the typical increases to the budget are pension, health care, chemicals, odor control, plant maintenance, etc…  There was also an increase in water due to a new fee implemented by KCWA for the fire hydrants in the plant and we added a new line for the Consent Agreement for the additional sampling of Alum.  There was a decrease in the budget of approximately $6,100 for Town services.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked what the $7,711 budgeted for Training and Licenses is for.  Ms. Suvajian replied most of it was for the employee training for the scrubbers.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked if we should put more money aside for these types of trainings.  Ms. Suvajian recommended training our Chiefs to train the employees instead of paying companies to come in to do the trainings, which will save us money.

•     Mr. Geremia pointed out that all the training sessions for the Phosphorous building were filmed so they can be utilized as well.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked why Electrical Instrumentation is projected to be over-budget by $12,000 in the current budget.  Ms. Suvajian stated Mr. Songolo had approved a lot of projects and replacing of things this year.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked why Plant Maintenance is projected to be $40,000 over-budget.  Ms. Suvajian replied these are just projections.  As we get towards the end of the fiscal year Mr. Chapdelaine would have to decide which projects or purchases to put off until next fiscal year in order to remain within budget.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked about the Consulting Engineer Plan Review being projected at $77,700.  Ms. Suvajian said we have been using Mr. Geremia’s services a lot more than usual. 

•     Mr. Geremia said in some communities they charge the developers for all the engineering costs.  He suggested we establish a fee and begin back-charging the developer’s for plan reviews.

•     There was discussion about the way other cities and towns handle engineering costs and fees and how we can implement similar policies.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked about the increase in the Fusion Odor Control Program which went from $52,800 to $70,000.  Ms. Suvajian replied we are saving on the chemicals for Odor Control and adding it to Fusion’s cost.  We are also saving on sludge.

•     Councilman Licciardi said Fusion was adamant that they would only cost us $50,000 a year yet we’re budgeting $70,000.  Mr. Chapdelaine stated we are still phasing out the old odor control system and will continue to reduce them and ultimately use only Fusion.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked Mr. Chapdelaine if he is sure about using Fusion.  Mr. Chapdelaine replied he really won’t know until summertime when the odors are at their worst.  If it doesn’t work then we’ll have to address it.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked if we have to sign a contract with Fusion.  Ms. Suvajian replied no, we can cancel with them at any time.  Councilman Licciardi asked for that in writing.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked if Fusion is different than the other odor control companies because it doesn’t just mask odors with perfumes.  Mr. Chapdelaine said that’s correct, it helps keep the H2 acids down throughout the process.

•     Councilman Licciardi stated he has been asking for two years for justification for the Administrative Fees.  He completely disagrees with the percentages for services that the WWTF is being charged.  He said he will not approve this budget because he is not getting any answers and he disagrees with these fees.

•     Councilwoman Williamson said she will look at the breakdown and see what she can come up with.

•     There was further discussion regarding the justification for the fees.

•     Councilwoman Williamson questioned the accuracy of the Consulting Engineer budget.  Ms. Suvajian recommends going forward with having the developers pay the Engineering fees which will help offset the budget.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked if the $825,000 in Capital is all spent.  Ms. Suvajian replied no, as of March 24, 2021 we have only spent $561,000.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked if the change order for the Centrifuge will make the Capital over-budget.  Ms. Suvajian stated the next payment due for the Centrifuge is $261,925 and Mr. Geremia said the change order will be approximately $10,000- $12,000.

•     Mr. Geremia asked what other Capital projects have to be paid for.  Ms. Suvajian replied the BAF pump.

2.     DEM Consent Agreement RIA 432

•     Mr. Geremia stated the sampling plan has been approved by DEM so we will begin sampling the river upstream and downstream monthly. 

•     We will do internal monitoring so we can minimize the amount of Alum we are discharging though it will be difficult to minimize the Alum without the additional use of other chemicals.

3.     Resiliency Plan

•     Mr. Geremia stated part of the Permit requires a Resiliency Plan be prepared by the Town.  This was brought about by the flooding in 2010.

•     A draft Resiliency Plan basically featuring some different components to be used in case of flooding has been submitted to DEM but it still needs to be approved by the Subcommittee. 

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked how often this needs to be filed.  Mr. Geremia replied it is part of the new Permit conditions based on the new FEMA flood maps and it will affect any upgrades we do at the plant going forward.

•     Mr. Geremia stated we can also put in for a grant to get some funding to do this work.

•     Both Councilwoman Williamson and Councilman Licciardi said to submit the draft to DEM.

H.     NEW BUSINESS

1.     Synagro Contract Extension

•     Ms. Suvajian stated we have one more year before we have to go out to bid and Synagro has agreed to extend their contract for another year with no rate increase.  However, included in their Contract, there is usually the implementation of the CPI (Consumer Price Index) which will be around two percent.  She is asked for the Subcommittee’s approval to go before the Commission.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked if there was an increase last year.  Ms. Suvajian said when the CPI is implemented every year it increases the rates.  Mr. Geremia said there was an increase in the cost of sludge disposal because in prior years Synagro used to offset the cost at the Landfill.

•     Both Councilwoman Williamson and Councilman Licciardi said to bring it before the Commission with an explanation of the increase.

2.     Sewer Department’s Response Protocol

•     Councilman Licciardi stated this discussion topic was prompted by a phone call he received a few weeks ago on a Sunday regarding a backup in a private line.  He had called Mr. Chapdelaine who, at the time had not been notified about this backup.

•     Councilman Licciardi said there should be a listing available at the plant of all the private sewer lines showing when they were established and when they were last serviced.  There should also be a list available of protocols regarding private lines.

•     Mr. Geremia said per DEM requirements and our ordinance, the developer for a private sewer line is responsible to prepare an O&M Manual to be submitted to the Town so we have the proper contact information.  However, we often receive resistance from the private owners and they do not submit their O&M Manuals.

•     If an overflow occurs on a private line it should be reported by the owner to DEM.  If it is reported to the WWTF instead, we would contact the owner via the information provided in the O&M Manual provided a Manual was submitted.  If we cannot reach the owner the Town would respond to the problem and bill the owner for services afterwards.

•     Mr. Geremia said regarding the line in question, it was connected illegally without our approval.  There is also an ongoing issue about this line amongst the neighbors.

•     Mr. Geremia stated the Program does monitor the private lines they know about to ensure they are cleaned and no backup occurs.  He said it’s in the ordinance that the private facilities get assessed for the Program’s services.  Ms. Suvajian said it is a fee of $1000.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked how many private lines we have.  Mr. Geremia replied approximately 22.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked if we have O&M Manuals for all of these lines.  Mr. Geremia replied no.  He said they have been asking Centre of New England for an O&M Manual for years.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked what the recourse is and if we can shut them down.  Mr. Geremia said you can’t really shut down sewers but you can put in penalties.

•     There was discussion about ways to go about implementing penalties.

•     Mr. Geremia suggested sending out letters to all the private line owners giving them 6 months to submit their O&M Manuals.  If they don’t comply, they will be charged a certain penalty amount per day until they submit it.

•     There was discussion about how to implement this plan and enforce the penalties.

•     Councilwoman Williamson asked what happens if there’s a private spill and it’s not cleaned up.  Mr. Geremia said the Town should notify DEM.

•     Councilwoman Williamson said she understands there may still be some residual evidence around the private line in question and asked Mr. Chapdelaine to look into it.

•     Councilman Licciardi stated we never got to the root of the problem regarding this private line backup.  Mr. Geremia stated it’s not the Town’s job to investigate that, it is DEM’s responsibility.  Councilman Licciardi asked what if it happens again.  Mr. Geremia replied we would notify DEM.

•     There was further discussion about private line owner’s responsibility to report to DEM.

I        PUBLIC COMMENT

•     John Read commended everyone on their professionalism.

•     Mr. Read said regarding the private line in question, DEM has turned this over to another department.

•     Mr. Read stated there is no longer a trailer at this location.  There are two commercial buildings, a 7-unit and a 5-unit.  Town records show no sewer connection at one of these buildings.  

•     Mr. Read stated this is also in a flood plain.  The address is 41 Industrial Lane.

•     Ms. Suvajian stated that billing records show nothing being billed for that address.  Mr. Geremia stated he will check his sewer records.

•     Mr. Read said one of the buildings have six bathrooms and possibly some floor drains.

•     Mr. Read asked if private sewer lines show up on a GIS map.  Mr. Geremia replied no.

•     Mr. Read stated that a sewer line shows up on the Town’s GIS map for this property.  Mr. Geremia said he knows the line and it is private, it was not put in by the Town.  He said it may be on the map because of the Town-owned easement that runs parallel to that sewer line along the river.

•     Mr. Read asked about the permit for the pump station.  Mr. Geremia said the original developer did submit a plan with a private pump station which was done long before DEM regulations regarding private pump stations were developed.

•     Mr. Read asked if they would have to meet the specifications for today’s standards.  Mr. Geremia replied yes.  Mr. Read also questioned the capacity limits for this property.

•     There was some discussion about the different buildings on this property and their locations. 

•     Mr. Read stated there is a manhole at this location with an abundance of sewage around it which is still there today. 

•     Mr. Geremia asked Mr. Read to meet with Mr. Chapdelaine to go over the plat and lots to in order to locate the tie-ins then he will look at the connections.

•     Councilwoman Williamson agreed they should meet.  She recommended moving forward with getting the O&M Manuals for all the private lines.  She also asked if there is anything in the Sewer ordinances regarding private lines.

•     It was determined that the Town not get involved in the sewage spill at this location since DEM is already working with another department on this.

•     Councilman Licciardi asked Mr. Chapdelaine to review the Sewer ordinances and update them accordingly and to work on the developer fees as well.  Mr. Geremia stated some fees were updated last year.

•     Councilwoman Williamson said she would also like recommendations on how we’re going to handle the people who don’t submit their O&M Manuals.

•     There was some additional discussion about firming up procedures and protocols.

J.      ADJOURN

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Councilman Licciardi and seconded by Councilwoman Williamson.  All in favor, none opposed.

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