WEST WARWICK SEWER COMMISSION
SEWER SUBCOMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
DATE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022 TIME: 3:00 P.M.
LOCATION: WWTF ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
1 PONTIAC AVENUE
WEST WARWICK, RI 02893
Members Present
Council Vice President Williamson
Town Manager Mark Knott
Superintendent Jeff Chapdelaine
Office Manager Tony Corrente
James Geremia, James J. Geremia & Associates, Inc.
A motion was made to approve the January 6, 2022 minutes by James Geremia and seconded by Jeff Chapdelaine. All in favor none opposed.
The following is taken from the Plant Manager’s report data through January 28, 2022.
· Average daily flow was 4.7 mgd with a maximum of 7.9 mgd and a minimum of 2.7 mgd.
· CBOD removal was 99% at 2.1 mgd.
· TSS removal was 98% at 2.7 mgd.
· Total Nitrogen is out of season.
· Total Phosphorus was 0.75 mg/l. DEM requirement is 1.0 mg/l.
· Sludge to Synagro was 370 wet tons. Sludge to Landfill was 62 wet tons. Total sludge was 432 tons.
· There was 1 public line block up:
1. Epworth Street
· There were 6 private line block ups:
1. 2 on Fountain Street (same residence)
2. Wilson Street
3. Highland Street
4. Garfield Terrace
5. Manchester Street
· There was 1 odor complaint.
1. Fernwood Drive
· There were no facility violations.
· Mr. Chapdelaine introduced the new office manager, Anthony Corrente. He said we had a new mechanic start but we haven’t received any applications for the Assistant Superintendent’s position.
· Council Vice President Williamson asked about the amount of private line block ups. Mr. Chapdelaine replied sometimes there’s a lot and sometimes there’s a few, it fluctuates.
· Mr. Knott asked if the cause is pipes collapsing or clogging due to flushing bad things. Mr. Chapdelaine replied it’s often roots in the lines and when the plumber hits that hard wall they assume it’s an issue in our sewer line(s). We then go out and inspect our line for flow then inform the homeowner if it’s in their line.
· Mr. Geremia stated it’s usually a broken pipe, roots or grease. He said when there are roots in a municipal line we cut them out then chemically treat it. We then reapply the chemical every two years.
· Year-to-Date Operating and Debt Expenses for Fiscal Year 2022 as of January 31st totaled $5,742,273.14 which is 60% of the annual budget.
· Fiscal Year 2022 Sewer Assessment collections for the month of January are $36,826.01 of which $8,267.56 represents interest.
· Fiscal Year 2022 Sewer Usage collections for the month of January are $870,124.77.
· Total collection for the month of January is $906,947.78 which was a significant increase from the previous month because third quarter payments were due in January.
· Council Vice President Williamson welcomed Mr. Corrente.
· Mr. Knott discussed how the debt service payments affect the percentages throughout the year. He said once Mr. Corrente gets settled in and completes his training with the Finance Director and the Deputy Finance Director he would like to get a legitimate forecast of whether we’ll be in the red or the black.
· Mr. Geremia talked about the fluctuation of revenues and expenses depending on the time of year because of the need for more chemicals during the different permit seasons. He recommended doing a 5-year tracking of the line items in the budget.
· There was a brief discussion about preparing for questions regarding revenue and expenses and the budget.
Significant Industrial Users
· Quarterly self-monitoring reports were submitted by:
1. Noramco
2. Amtrol
3. Immunex
4. Bradford Soapworks
5. Warwick Ice Cream
All were within the limits.
· Semi-Annual self-monitoring reports were submitted by:
1. New England Testing Laboratories
2. Ethide Laboratories
3. Cal Chemical
4. Dryvit
5. Noramco
6. Rhodes Pharmaceuticals
7. Purevita Laboratories
All were within the limits.
· Dryvit will be relocating out of town. No date has been set yet.
Private Wastewater Treatment Facilities
· National Amusements/Showcase Cinemas continues to be delayed awaiting DOT’s approval possibly sometime in mid-April.
Food Service
· Diggy’s Ice Cream on Main Street was inspected and found to be in general compliance.
· Backyard BBQ on Tiogue Avenue in Coventry (formally T-Bones) repaired their grease recovery system.
· Domino’s Pizza replaced their grease trap this month.
· Restivo’s Deli’s is out of business and The Courthouse Deli will be moving into that space.
Food Service Permits
· A new permit was issued to Kentucky Fried Chicken due to an ownership change.
· A new permit was issued to Subway on Cowesett Avenue.
Plan Reviews
· Plans were reviewed for Paul Arpin Subdivision on James P. Murphy Highway. They were in general compliance and a letter was issued.
· Plans submitted for Ripples Swim School were not consistent with the requirements and we issued them a deficiency letter.
· Pranzi Rental and Event Planning Center on Bridal Avenue submitted modifications which did not significantly change their operation and a letter was issued.
· Plans were submitted for 293 and 265 Providence Street. Due to the weather, construction will be delayed until Spring.
· Plans submitted for 577 Tiogue Avenue were not consistent with the requirements and a letter was issued.
Other
· We received an application for 24/7 Laundry on West Warwick Avenue. The facility did not submit plans and a visual inspection did not show any lint traps. A letter was issued.
· Springfield Suites on James P. Murphy Highway has had a change in ownership and will require a new permit. As of the end of January, the application has not been submitted.
· Council Vice President Williamson stated they also applied for a liquor license. Mr. Knott said he thinks they just serve beer and wine.
· Mr. Chapdelaine stated the boiler repair is still ongoing. The only part that was missing was the burner. The company actually sent us a burner. For an additional $2,653.00 the whole boiler will be brand new and will have a one-year warranty.
· Mr. Chapdelaine stated the flue which connects the boiler to the vent going out of the building was not up to code. The quote for that was not to exceed $5200.00.
· Mr. Chapdelaine said the total for the project will be $39,645.00. It will be overbudget by approximately $2,000.00 because replacing the flue was unexpected. He would like to submit a Change Order Resolution at next the Sewer Commission meeting.
· Mr. Knott discussed using the American Rescue Plan Funds (ARPA) and getting a spreadsheet from all of the departments with proposals for projects in order by priority with a rough cost estimate.
· Mr. Knott and Mr. Geremia listed these projects for the ARPA.
1. Conveyor
2. Boiler
3. Phenix Avenue
4. Maisie Quinn Interceptor
5. Primary Clarifiers
6. Water Meter
7. Dewatering Conveyors
8. Maisie Quinn Pump Station Valve Replacement
· There was a brief discussion about reserving money in the Capital budget.
· Mr. Chapdelaine asked about using the savings in the Capital budget for small emergency type projects. Council Vice President Williamson said yes, if they’re needed Capital items.
· Mr. Geremia stated once we can identify the actual problem from the original report we will go from there.
· Council Vice President Williamson said she remembers it was an old, collapsed or shifted pipe. Mr. Geremia replied that can’t be determined just by looking down a manhole.
· Mr. Geremia stated once he knows where it is and what the potential problem is Richard and Jeff can work it up. Council Vice President Williamson said she believes it’s near the Cranston line, near Burlingame.
· Council Vice President Williamson suggested the original report might have more detail.
· Mr. Geremia stated the Change Order was executed and asked Mr. Knott who the backup should be sent to. Mr. Knott replied if it is ARPA money he definitely wants a copy and he and the Finance Director will be keeping separate files.
· Mr. Knott stated he would prefer to get a proposal then he will get a Resolution to encumber the money so we’ll have pre-approval to do it. As the invoices come in, we’ll pay against it from the Rescue Fund accounts. This way everything from the ARPA is pre-approved.
· Council Vice President Williamson stated this question will come up, what have we spent in Capital so far and what was budgeted.
· Mr. Geremia stated the contract was executed with Boyle & Fogarty so we’re in the process.
· Mr. Geremia stated KCWA has a program where the Towns will get reimbursed for the meters which is about $5,000.00 or $6,000.00.
· Council Vice President Williamson said to make sure we follow up on that.
· Mr. Geremia stated he solicited a proposal from Hart Engineering. They quoted $17,539.00 to repair/replace the columns.
· Mr. Geremia said we had budgeted $31,000.00 in Capital for this work so it is under budget. He recommends a Change Order to Hart Engineering for $17,539.00 instead of going out to bid since Hart Engineering is already doing work in the Solids Handling building.
· Mr. Knott stated this should stay a Capital project.
· Mr. Geremia asked if we go out to bid for ARPA projects and if so when to go out to bid. He also stated that Primary Clarifier No. 1 broke down today.
· Mr. Knott said if they are a priority we can bring them forward but this is federal money so federal guidelines must be followed.
· Council Vice President Williamson asked if the Primary Clarifier is an emergency situation. Mr. Chapdelaine replied yes. She asked the cost. Mr. Geremia replied $710,000.00.
· Mr. Knott stated we have the funds and internal infrastructure is a priority.
· Mr. Geremia stated the Primary Clarifiers were in the Capital budget and they need to get done. They were put in, in 1993. He will put it out for bid and how it gets paid can be decided when it goes before the Council for approval.
· Council Vice President Williamson asked what we do in the meantime. Mr. Geremia replied he called the manufacturer to send someone who can assess what can be done in the interim to keep it running. Also, we take one of the Clarifiers off line in the warmer months.
· Mr. Geremia stated if we get heavy rain we can use the Clarifiers as a storage tank and then pump it out after the rain settles.
· There was some additional discussion about which projects to do next and the ARPA funds and timelines. Mr. Geremia discussed bid and project timelines and flood damage funds.
· Mr. Geremia stated the WWTF staff does not have the time or experience to do adequate inspections of sewer lines in large developments. In the past, the inspections fees were $2.00 per linear foot. If the Town has to hire an outside company to do these inspections, these fees are not adequate and he cannot negotiate these fees with developers because of the Town ordinance.
· Mr. Geremia said some communities state that the inspection fees are to be paid by the developer but the developer will need to specify how long they’re going to take. The developer will then pay the fees to the Town then the Town uses that money to pay the engineer.
· Mr. Geremia said it can get cumbersome. For example, the Meadows project contractor says he will be onsite working so an engineer is sent to do the inspections but the contractor isn’t there so we can’t bill for that time.
· Mr. Geremia said should we do it now and come up with a cost or should we require the cost be predetermined and paid upfront. The fees will need to be raised to $6.00 or $8.00 per foot.
· Council Vice President Williamson said if we have an antiquated ordinance and we don’t have the manpower to do it ourselves we need to update the ordinance.
· Mr. Knott asked if other places have one in place that works well. Mr. Geremia replied in Burrillville they get it up front.
· Council Vice President Williamson asked Mr. Geremia to come up with something for the next meeting that can be presented to Al.
· Mr. Geremia stated he is also trying to do this with plan reviews because once the developer’s plans are approved they don’t pay.
· Mr. Chapdelaine stated we have two diesel underground storage tanks that failed the DEM inspection. There are cases on top for a sump-pump to pump out debris and water. We worked with a company to try and fix the holes so fluid wouldn’t seep in but the patches didn’t work and we need to fix it in order to comply with the new DEM regulations.
· Mr. Chapdelaine stated the first option is to shut one tank down then fix and use the other tank. We don’t use as much diesel as we did in the past so we don’t need two tanks. The second option is to take both tanks out and get our diesel from DPW. The third option is to take both tanks out and put in a new tank above ground where there are less DEM regulations.
· Mr. Chapdelaine said once he gets the quotes a choice will have to be made regarding these storage tanks. Everyone replied take them out.
· Mr. Geremia discussed past DEM regulations when the diesel tanks held gasoline.
· There was some discussion regarding getting the diesel from DPW versus getting a small tank for the plant.
· Mr. Knott stated that private pump stations, O&M manuals, contact lists and proper billing will coming up at the budget workshops.
· Mr. Knott talked about the necessity of having a Subcommittee since nothing is actually voted on at these meetings. He suggested changing it to internal management team meetings. Everyone agreed stating there was never a proclamation or ordinance that established the Subcommittee.
· Mr. Knott said he will get legal guidance.
· Council Vice President Williamson asked if we have last year’s final auditing numbers for the budget. Mr. Chapdelaine replied he hasn’t looked into it. Council Vice President Williamson and Mr. Knott recommended being prepared and looking into that and also the admin. fees.
· There was a brief discussion regarding the budget, the audit process and depreciation.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by James Geremia and seconded by Jeff Chapdelaine. All in favor, none opposed.
Please refer to audio recording for detailed information.