Frequently Asked Questions
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WWMD: Wastewater management district according to CT General Statutes Chapter 103 §7- 245 CTDEP or DEP: State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection, acting by its Commissioner or duly authorized representative Upgrade Program Standards: The program set forth in the Town of Old Saybrook Draft Wastewater Management Study document as developed and agreed upon in Mediation. Advanced Treatment System (AT System, ATS): A sewage treatment system that provides advanced treatment and has a manufacturer's certification or acceptable test results showing a minimum 50% reduction in effluent nitrogen concentration. Only AT Systems approved by the WPCA shall be considered to meet the Upgrade Program. Mediation (Mediated Agreement or Settlement): A process by which the Town and CTDEP agreed to consider a decentralized wastewater treatment program with guidelines and upgrade standards. Centralized Wastewater Treatment: Centralized systems consist of "public sewer systems" which transport wastewater to a central location for treatment and discharge into the environment. Decentralized Wastewater Treatment: Decentralized systems are systems that do not connect to a public sewer system. They treat wastewater on-site, usually underground, (as in a small individual septic system) or may discharge to a private treatment plant serving an entire subdivision. Onsite wastewater treatment/disposal system: A system used by an individual homeowner to treat wastewater. Usually this is known as a septic system. A conventional system is composed of a septic tank for pretreatment and a leach field used for dispersal of the wastewater. Each system is designed according to specific site conditions to ensure proper treatment. Maintenance: Regular cleaning, servicing or replacement of related mechanical, electrical or other equipment of: Leaching System, Septic Tank, or other component of a Sewage Treatment System to preserve its intended level of operation. O & M: Operation and maintenance. Regular maintenance on a system after initial installation. Why are we doing this (upgrading septic systems, establishing a WWMD and Upgrade Standards)? It is the town’s responsibility to protect the environment according to the standards set by the regulatory agencies (EPA, CTDEP). Investigations determined that certain areas of Old Saybrook with aged systems, shallow groundwater table within close proximity to the State’s waters, and dense development; need to upgrade septic systems in order to meet current wastewater treatment standards. The Town was required to pursue available solutions. A Town-wide referendum and mediation with CTDEP, resulted in the Town selecting individual property on- site solutions instead of a central wastewater treatment plant fed by sewers. The areas designated by the WWMD are subject to septic system upgrades; implemented according to the Wastewater Facilities Plan, subject to approval by the CTDEP. Why do we need a wastewater management district? Why can’t our WPCA direct this process without adding another level of bureaucracy? State legislation was adopted in 2003 providing for the formation of Wastewater Management Districts (WWMD). The WWMD additions to the Connecticut General Statutes (Chapter 103, Sections 7-245 to 7-249a) provide a mechanism for municipal Water Pollution Control Authorities (WPCAs) to manage decentralized wastewater programs and allows for adoption of standards for on-site systems that may differ from the current Public Health Code (PHC), including use of advanced treatment systems. Why do we have to do this in the absence of any gross pollution? Chapter 446k Water Pollution Control Sec. 22a-423 of the CT General Statutes state that there does not need to be evidence of “gross pollution” to protect the State’s waters. In OS there are many old/aging domestic wastewater treatment systems in environmentally sensitive areas that do not meet today's standards (depth to groundwater, tank and leaching field size). Failed systems are often hard to detect. Some sample results exceeded water quality standards. We are being asked to modernize our treatment systems. Can you prove that my house is polluting and if so how? You can’t prove that any given house is polluting at any given time. What we have is the Public Health Code which establishes the minimum standards you need to protect the environment. If you don’t meet those standards, we can reasonably assume (because we’re charged with doing the best we can) that there is a problem or a potential problem. That is the way the law is written in the State Statutes. Why do we have to do anything? OS was shown to not have acted in good faith, assessed a fine by a Supreme Court Justice and ordered to remediate the groundwater pollution in identified areas. “To do nothing” would incur further Court actions ((reinstated and additional fines, orders) and a loss of local control. Who determined that Onsite treatment was the best alternative? Among possible solutions acceptable to DEP is a central treatment plant which would also necessitate the construction of sewers. The Town’s Sewer Avoidance policy favors decentralized or onsite treatment. So, in the late 90’s the WPCA, in conjunction with the Selectmen, pursued a non-sewer approach. WPCA compared alternatives; conventional, ATS, community and centralized treatment. Individual on-site solutions (including ATS) were determined the best option. The mediated settlement, as an extension of the Court Judgment, further developed the method (acceptable to DEP and the Town) to be used to bring the quality of the effluent up to acceptable standards. Mediation effectively “took the Sewer off the table” providing technical standards and an outline for the Wastewater Facilities Plan and ATS. Is this the best solution for the “Sound” as opposed to a large-scale, state of the art treatment facility, like the one in Stamford CT? Either a centralized or decentralized approach can be implemented which would protect Long Island Sound. The engineering report evaluated what the better solution was for Old Saybrook, given the available approaches and technologies, and recommended a decentralized approach. Would the decentralized system offset the permanent installation of sewers to a centralized system and if not, for how long? Yes as long as the Court order is in effect. Will the DEP be satisfied with 100% compliance from the 15 neighborhoods or will that just kick in phase 2? (Basically converting 100% of town over time, making a treatment plant MUCH more desirable.) The court order does not allow DEP to change anything unilaterally. After the Stipulation Order has been satisfied, the management of the WWMD resides with the Town of Old Saybrook’s WPCA, not the DEP. A central wastewater treatment plant and sewers is not more desirable. Estimated cost for a wastewater treatment plant and sewers to serve 2500 properties is $71 million. It would cost many more millions to “sewer” the whole town. Adding properties to the decentralized program over time would still cost much less than a central plant and sewers. Keep in mind that properties in many areas of Town may have larger lots, less density, better depth to groundwater, and may not abut surface water, etc. Thus they likely will not require upgrades if they have a Public Health Code compliant system. Why can’t installations and upgrades be done through attrition as old systems need to be replaced? Why are we only looking at focus areas? Why isn’t this a Town-wide problem solved on a Town-wide basis? The WPCA back about 5-years ago did look at a plan to replace systems over time as property changed hands. That is what Massachusetts has done in their Title 5 regulation. When you sell your property you need to bring it up to standards. The answer came back from DEP; no that’s not fast enough. That is going to take decades to get to where we need to be in improving the groundwater quality. It was suggested and turned down. The Town of OS does have a 5-year pumpout program. Many of the pumpouts have been witnessed by the past WPCA inspector. So there is a Town-wide program unlike almost any other town in the State. It doesn’t require the upgrades. What we are doing is starting with the neighborhoods that were chosen historically. It is a set of neighborhoods that could be addressed as time goes on. We’re setting up a program that will allow the Town to deal with identified pollution problems when you adopt a decentralized plan. Will an Advanced Treatment System allow me to convert my home to year-round occupancy (winterize)? ATS do not change the year-round occupancy requirements. A code compliant septic system is only one of the criteria. Upgrades and/or AT systems may help to meet requirements. The Code of the Town of Old Saybrook (Ordinances) contains Ordinance 62 – Winterization of Seasonal Properties. There are several factors listed in this section, sewage disposal being only one of them. Other factors that must be considered to re-classify a property include: compliance with Zoning Regulations; compliance with Flood Plain Regulations; and suitability of the structure with regard to wiring; heating system, insulation and plumbing. If this is truly being done on a “lot by lot” basis doesn’t it stand to reason that a seasonal home (where the water is shut off from Nov. to April) would be fine with a reasonably new septic system? As it is only being used 6 months of the year. All septic systems are sized based on the number of bedrooms … not average annual flow (annual usage). Septic systems have to be sized to handle the amount of wastewater during peak usage. How does the WWMD and apply to me? My system is working well. Why am I required to upgrade my system? If you are within the WWMD and your system meets the Upgrade Standards and Ordinance 75, you will not need to make any physical changes. Malfunctioning systems are not always evident. Properties outside of the WWMD are subject to requirements of Ordinance 75 only. For further information see Ordinance 75 on the OSWPCA website. Where can the public obtain definitive information on what the Upgrade Standards require so as to determine if an individual property requires a system upgrade? We have estimates on what needs to be done on individual lots on these maps. The legends show where septic tanks might need to be replaced and AT systems need to be installed. The maps show the preliminary estimates. The Upgrade Standards are a draft document that can be found in the Wastewater Facilities Plan. A copy is in the Library and Town Hall. At what point will the property owner know whether or not their property will require an upgrade? When the Implementation Process takes place, research will be done on individual lots to determine what needs to be done; perhaps nothing, replace a septic tank, add an effluent filter. The design and construction will take place after that. That will take place on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis in 2010- 2017 when the definitive answers will be developed. Is Old Saybrook the only town the State required to do something? No, but we are the first town that has been taken to court and will establish a WWMD with on-site solutions. There are only 6 unsewered shoreline towns in CT at this point; starting from Guilford across to Old Lyme. OS is leading the charge, but if you follow the news you’ll see DEP showing up in Clinton. The DEP is also working with Westbrook and have contacts going with Madison. The other two towns will come in the future. Of all the shoreline towns, why was Old Saybrook targeted for suit by the State first? Old Saybrook voted down the Tri-town sewer system in 1989, while under a DEP pollution abatement order. The Town took no other action to modify the project, propose an alternative solution, and bring it before the voters after the 1989 referendum. The non-compliance with a DEP order, combined with no good-faith effort on the part of the town to find alternative solutions, led to DEP suing the town in 1990. With regard to the other shoreline towns, both Clinton and Westbrook are under DEP orders, have contracts with environmental consultants, and are pursuing solutions to their wastewater issues. Old Lyme is currently installing sewers (to the New London treatment plant via East Lyme.) Madison and Guilford are “waiting in the wings” due in part to DEP staffing limitations. What’s the guarantee that after spending all that money that this will work? Who is responsible for system failures? The WPCA intends to design the right solution for each lot, select a specific set of AT systems with proven track records, and recommend the correct O & M for each system. Those with AT systems are going to have to have a qualified operations firm checking on and maintaining those systems. They will have gone through a training program to make sure they are kept up and running. The Town is going to install remote monitoring of the AT systems. We’re actually going to have a hookup for each system. An alarm condition reported to the service provider and WPCA office will initiate service. Proper care and maintenance of the system will insure operation and longevity and the manufacturer will warrantee components based on proper usage. Homeowners are ultimately responsible for proper use of these systems. The operations people are responsible for keeping them running and the systems will be monitored remotely. This is being done quite successfully on Cape Cod. They use the same reporting software that the Health District has today. They will be modifying it to be able to collect information on these systems and provide notification to the Town and service providers if something goes awry. It’s a combination of the WPCA’s oversight and probably the Health District as well depending on how the regulations evolve with DPH and the service providers. Has the Town of OS determined the areas the State of CT tested for pollution? Have other than beach areas been tested if they are near brooks, rivers, or wetlands? Beginning in 1996, the WPCA began sampling groundwater from as many as 80 monitoring wells installed in most of the subject areas. Wells were located near the beaches; adjacent to marshlands; near known septic systems; near relatively undeveloped areas; and adjacent to seasonal and year-round properties – the idea being to identify as many factors contributing to the issue as possible. The State did not install or monitor any wells. Will the town be upgrading the stormwater system in conjunction with this project? Stormwater management is not part of the Draft Facilities Plan at this time, but may be part of the WPCA’s purview in the future. The BOS and Town Planner will be reviewing the infrastructure to coincide with implementation of the Decentralized Wastewater Management Program. If the roads are dug up would consideration be given to installing natural gas lines and public water? One of the reasons for public water is the necessity for the fire department. The reason for looking at the beach areas is because lifestyles have changed since they were built. The Department of Public Works will look at them so that as we go through and upgrade the septic systems we can see what other upgrade opportunities are available. It was stated that the decentralized plan is consistent with the Town Plan of Conservation and Development. Please explain why. The Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development is based on a decentralized or sewer avoidance program. It is not a growth type of system; where some towns may wish to have growth occur for economic development purposes. OS said that is not what we want to do. We want to have controlled growth. 15 or 20 years ago when this came up, a sewer line was pictured on Route 1 similar to other towns. Planning, Zoning, and the WPCA back then chose sewer avoidance and a systematic pattern of growth. A sewer line only benefits a few property owners along Route 1; it then opens it up to higher density. You can take a look at examples of other towns, like Orange, which put in large commercial buildings. There was concern about other towns tying-in to Old Saybrook’s system. It is also a matter of “follow the money.” Who benefits the most? It is not the individual property owner. But it could open the door for over development of Route 1. How were the WWMD areas selected? The areas selected are those that were in the previously identified study areas for which solutions are required by the court order. Addressing these areas is the first priority. Where do we find maps of individual areas? Maps of the WWMD areas are available at Town Hall, on this website: Focus Area Maps and at the Acton Library (Draft Wastewater Facilities Plan) Why aren’t all waterfront properties in town required to install ATS? Only those within the WWMD are required to install ATS at this time. Will all waterfront lots be required to upgrade to ATS? Other waterfront areas may be included in the future. Will the upgrades be prioritized? Yes, beginning with the easiest to the more challenging. The majority of the lots will require conventional upgrades. Which neighborhood will be implemented first? Saybrook Acres What happens after all the upgrades are completed? Homeowners get a permit to operate and continue system’s maintenance. Monitoring for AT systems will be by remote telemetry to a central station. Why are the areas of Fenwick, Knollwood, and North Cove exempt? These areas are not exempt. They are not part of the initial program (as defined by the DEP), but there is nothing to preclude expansion after the initial program is in place. The DEP refused to allow the Town to change the boundaries during the final mediation. However, please note that the Special Act of the State Legislature that established the Borough of Fenwick in the 1890's includes their Charter which gives the Borough the authority to control their sewage treatment (not the Town of Old Saybrook). In what order will neighborhoods be addressed? The Mediation Results document, Appendix E of the Draft Facilities Plan, lists seven groups of neighborhoods in the following order: Group 1: Saybrook Acres, Group 2: Saybrook Point, Oyster River East, and Thompson, Group 3: Plum Bank, Great Hammock, and Indiantown, Group 4: Chalker Beach and Meadowood, Group 5: Cornfield Point, Group 6: Saybrook Manor, Cornfield Park, Ingham Hill, Group 7: Maple Ave. North and Fenwood. In the process of implementation of the upgrades why won’t the beach areas be the first to require upgrades? There is an implementation schedule that the WPCA worked out with the DEP. The first area to be tackled is Saybrook Acres. It is not the most challenging neighborhood. The reason for choosing it is to get the program up and running, work out the bugs before we do get to the more challenging areas that require AT systems. Saybrook Acres has relatively few fixes to make the lots code compliant. It is going to get to each area eventually, but this was the area decided on in the Mediation process. How do the costs for the decentralized wastewater program compare to the costs of a central plant and sewers? Fuss & O’Neill (WPCA’s engineers) calculated: Central Treatment System: $59.1 million for sewers + $12.2 million for the treatment facility = $71.3 million. This does not include the cost of land and operators. Cost per property owner is approx. $28,100. O & M = $500 per year. Decentralized program: $40-45 million. Cost per property owner in WWMD ranges from $0 for those who need no upgrade to $28,100 for those who need ATS (approx. 25% of WWMD). O & M = $200 every 5 years for conventional system, $600 - $800 per year for ATS. Is grant money also available for treatment plant? Typically, for treatment plant, Clean Water Funds are applicable. Voting down the referendum in this case may jeopardize funding from the State. How much will upgrades cost me? Will grants or loans be available? For property owners within the WWMD, costs of upgrades (excluding maintenance and monitoring costs) are estimated between $0 and $28K. Based on preliminary assessments most upgrades will cost in lower half of this range. Cost of upgrades will be reduced by grants and low interest loans (2% over 20-years). Average cost after grants and Town contribution are $9200 - $11,900. Based on present proposed funding. Is the Town helping out with the cost? Who will pay for the monitoring and maintenance of the AT systems? Yes. The Town will bear 100% of the administration, enforcement, and monitoring costs. The Town will provide staffing for the oversight of the Upgrade program, while the Connecticut River Area Health District oversees conventional systems. The Town will fund monitoring; Homeowner pays maintenance. How does a senior on a fixed income pay for all of this? Low income homeowners may apply for assistance through Social Services. Low interest loans will also be available. Does the Implementation Process include sessions to educate residents on state grants and other funding assistance opportunities? What is the consequence facing the homeowner if they are unable to pay the cost of the process? There will be general sessions to work with the community and individuals to provide full opportunity to take advantage of the money that is out there. There is a $300,000 initial grant for those who cannot afford it. We are trying to make this as painless for residents and the Town as possible. We have already set up the process with the Health District for people to get funding. If we upgrade now are we eligible for a grant? No, the process for upgrade financing is not in place yet. However, if you qualify as a low- income owner, money is available for repairs to current septic systems through the social services located at the Youth and Family Services office next to the Fire House on Main Street. Does the maintenance or replacement of leaching systems, septic tank, or other component mean that the town pays for 100% of the maintenance service at taxpayer expense and for just the new AT system? What will the remote monitoring consist of – cost? Town (taxpayers) would pay 100% of the cost of operating a WWTP (Wastewater Treatment Plant). Town (taxpayers) would pay 100% of administration of WWMD and ATS monitoring. Cost of implementing a remote monitoring system is estimated at $150,000 to be shared by all taxpayers. Why will the cost of ATS be passed on to the homeowners instead of sharing the costs equally among all residents? What will their share of the cost be? How does the WWMD affect other homeowners? Like all septic systems, ATS serve the property they are on. It is the homeowner’s property and responsibility. All residents will assume costs associated with administration, enforcement and monitoring. Homeowners outside the WWMD will also be required to meet regulations and maintenance for septic systems described in Ordinance 75 (5-year pumpout program). How do we estimate or plan for our property? Look at maps for preliminary assessment. Maps of the WWMD areas are available at Town Hall, on the internet: www.oswpca.org, and at the Acton Library (Draft Wastewater Facilities Plan). An update to these maps is currently underway and expected completion is spring 2009. Specific details won’t be available for your property until the research phase. Who will compensate me for loss of value to my home? There is no loss of value associated with AT system installation. Depending on the design of the system, almost all of the components will be underground with grass covered access covers similar to a conventional septic system. How long have these AT systems been on the market? More than 50 years with new designs being marketed continuously. Is an AT system better than a conventional system? Is it preferable? If a homeowner wishes to upgrade his system between now and next year can you offer any advice as to what they should do? Look at an AT system or a conventional? An AT system is not necessarily better, but it depends on the situation. If you have enough land and have reasonable soils a conventional system is fine. They work well and rely on treatment in the septic tank, settlement of solids and biological treatment. If you have groundwater that is deep and proper conditions in your leaching field there is more aerobic activity and biological treatment in the ground. As long as you have enough leaching area, they work fine. The problem we have here is that the lots are so small we don’t have the kind of treatment that you would have on a larger lot. And in a number of cases we don’t have the aerobic activity going on under the leaching field. The reason we are using the AT systems is because we have some difficult situations and a need (per the DEP) to remove some nitrogen to protect the groundwater and Long Island Sound. If you have a need for an upgrade the CT River Area Health District (CRAHD) will work with you. We are working towards having some interim steps to see what your future designation is going to be, so that you don’t do something you have to change later. The Health District right now requires an upgrade that is as close to the PHC as possible. That is the current goal, but the CRAHD is going to work more closely with the WPCA, being cognizant of these maps, as people go forward with their repairs. If you want to upgrade to an AT system now, don’t. The permitting system the DEP has in place right now is designed for businesses, not houses. You will not have the requirements DEP will look for. There is a delegation process which is going forward, where we give the authority to the Town. That is going to simplify the permitting process. Wait until the delegation occurs. What types of ATS are available? What are the parameters for ATS? Is SoilAir technology acceptable? For information on ATS visit www.nsf.org. Approved list of ATS for OS has yet to be determined. Have any AT systems been installed? What were the results? They have hundreds of systems installed in coastal Rhode Island; Westerly, with similar situations. AT URI they actually monitor in controlled conditions (have wastewater running through their test systems.) They have very good data available on Cape Cod. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) has a new standard for these nitrogen removal systems. Why not try an AT system at the Town Beach and see how it works? These systems are currently installed in a number of other states. There is not going to be any great benefit to trying one out in CT. The soils aren’t that much different from Rhode Island, Cape Cod, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Other states up and down the coast have them. The testing has pretty much been all done. Will the property owner have choices over the type of ATS? Yes, among the approved selection. What kind of maintenance is required on an ATS and what is its longevity? ATS require cleaning filters, rotating and replacement of pumps, and removal of media in some cases. Similar to conventional septic systems, an ATS should last between 20-30 years. Who will do maintenance on these systems? What are the maintenance costs for the mechanical systems? Qualified maintenance providers will maintain AT systems. Maintenance costs of ATS are estimated to be approximately $600 - $800 per year. Does it matter if the house is seasonal or year-round? No. Use is not one of the criteria for the Upgrade Program. Does an AT system require a new leaching system? If it does not meet the leaching system guidelines, yes. Do waterfront lots require an AT system? Yes, if within the WWMD. Do the AT systems have any odor? No, not if working properly. What happens if there is not enough room on the lot to install an AT system? The best feasible solution that meets our obligations under the upgrade program will be recommended. Do the mechanical systems require electricity? Yes. What happens during a power failure? The system stops. All ATS have a built-in capacity to provide short term storage for later treatment. Do they have to be used continually or can they be used seasonally? Some can be stopped and started. They require a little time to ramp up when restarted. There are a number of ATS that are suited to seasonal use. Does the pump run continuously? No. A programmable timer operates the equipment based on need then shuts off. How long does the pump last? About 8-10 years. If the ATS fails causing property damage where does the homeowner find restitution? Same as if your septic system fails. Check your homeowner’s insurance. Proper maintenance and a service contract (like your oil burner) will reduce the possibility of failures. Will the Town stand behind these new systems and guarantee them for 20 years? The manufacturer may warranty the components of an AT system. The town does not guarantee any septic system. What happens if an ATS does not meet discharge requirements? ATS designs that will be chosen will have demonstrated ability to meet its discharge requirements when installed and operated properly. Many will have been certified by a testing organization like the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). ATS will have alarms that are monitored by the Town. If a system malfunctions, the homeowner will be notified so that a service call can be initiated. Some components of a system may also be warranteed by the manufacturer. What is considered an undersized septic tank? The current Public Health Code requires a 1,000 gallon tank for a 2 or 3 bedroom house; a 1250 gallon tank for 4 bedrooms; and a 1500 gallon tank for 5 bedrooms. Houses constructed in the 1950s and 1960s generally have 750 gallon tanks for a 2 bedroom house and 900 gallon tanks for 3 bedroom house – most of these are single compartment tanks. The proposed upgrade standards require a two compartment septic tank as these provide better separation and treatment than single compartment tanks. If a lot is conforming, (brown) on the WWMD map; what will future requirements be to increase the number of bedrooms? The Technical Standards of the Public Health Code is the basic reference document defining septic system sizing and is utilized in the WWMD plan. Increasing the number of bedrooms does require now (and will subsequently require then) an upsizing of the septic system for the increase loading. How will our leaching field be evaluated? Utilizing a records review of the current system and comparison with code requirements. How much leaching do you need? Leaching field size for conventional septic systems is determined by the # of bedrooms; about 300 - 1800 sq. ft. (in consideration of side slopes and grading.) It can be as small as 300 sq. ft. for a 3-bdrm home. Is that above ground? No. What if you don’t have a large enough lot to accommodate the ATS leaching system? ATS leaching systems can be very compact compared to conventional leaching fields and there are many options for compact leaching systems and how they can be sited. What is best for your site will be determined during the Research Phase of the program on a lot-by-lot basis by a qualified engineer. How do these properties get evaluated? Who does it? What does it entail? Properties within the WWMD will be subject to evaluation during the Research Phase of the Wastewater Facilities Plan. Paraphrased from section 7.2.1 of the Wastewater Facilities Plan: The research, which will include a review of Town records, and in most cases, test pits, will be used to determine if the existing septic systems meet the requirements of the Upgrade Program Standards. If not, the Town’s engineer will determine what is needed to meet the Upgrade Program Standards (or if an AT system is needed). The homeowner will then be notified in writing of what needs to be done to meet the upgrade standards. Will there be training, qualifications, and licensing for the installers? Are there any AT systems installed in this area by your firm in comparable circumstances and what were the results of those installations? There are not standards right now for the AT systems. We’re breaking new ground and have to set those standards. There is a very good course developed by the Consortium of Wastewater Treatment Institutions. That takes place around the country. Other states are doing a lot more than we are. There is an installer academy. Many of the WPCA members have gone to the training offered at the University of Rhode Island; the New England Training Center at URI. They have been approached about offering training courses for installers. Does the homeowner have the right to choose what they want? The homeowner will have a choice of approved design and can choose an installer from a list of qualified firms. If you want to do something else you submit your proposal (prepared at your cost) and we’ll determine if it’s acceptable. However the buying power of the Town is a lot more efficient. What’s going to happen on my property? Properties in the WWMD will be evaluated using the Upgrade Standards. Homeowner is notified of required upgrades to the septic system along with information on suppliers, cost, etc. Once installed, the Homeowner will be obligated to maintain it. Will groundwater samples be required? Groundwater samples for determining the type of upgrade needed in a particular lot will generally NOT be required. Periodic groundwater sample analyses after installation will not be required either. My septic system was recently installed; is there an exemption from upgrade? My house was recently built; does it meet DEP standard? The question of whether a property meets the requirements must be determined on a case-by- cast basis, but the more recently installed septic system is more likely to be in compliance. The standards in the last 5-years are closer to what is required today than what was put in 50-years ago. Chances are you’ll have less to do. It depends on where you are. If you have a waterfront lot, even if the system was put in last year, it does not have an AT system. The Health Department was not requiring AT systems in anticipation of the new program. That will not happen until the ordinance is in place. It is an issue we are working on in the ordinance. We have to determine how to deal with those properties that have new systems in place but the regulations will require more treatment. The ordinance will allow for making upgrades sooner if you are not scheduled until the end but are making improvements. The ordinance will kick in then. The Health District is talking with the WPCA to develop interim procedures in order install something that will meet the future standards. Is there any sort of grandfathering clause for newer systems? Same as above. Should someone put a system upgrade in now or wait for referendum? Some upgrades can be done before referendum. For example, steel tanks, cesspool removal on a non-waterfront site or conventional septic system installation. Others who may be subject to AT systems should wait because the permitting process for these systems is not in place yet. This should be discussed with the health department (CRAHD) located in the old theater building on Main St. for requirements on your particular situation. Why is dry well removal and replacement with new leaching system mandatory ? Leaching chambers over four feet in depth will not be allowed as part of the WWMD upgrades. Most drywells are 7 or 8 feet in depth, therefore, they would not be allowed anywhere in the WWMD. What issues will be on the Town-wide referendum? The referendum will include a vote on the Ordinance for Management of On-site Sewage Disposal Systems establishing the WWMD and approval of associated funding to implement the program. When will the referendum be held? August 11, 2009 Who will be eligible to vote at the referendum? You are eligible to vote at a town meeting if you are a property owner; individually or collectively, of a property assessed at more than $1000. You can vote at a town meeting on any ordinance or financial issue. Will absentee ballots be allowed? Yes. How will I be notified about the referendum? Public notice printed in local papers, broadcasts, postings, and direct mail. What happens if we vote down the referendum establishing the WWMD? If the Town fails to pass the ordinance, DEP can take the Town back to Court or seek other enforcement actions. This is the most undesirable outcome. It may cause; the Town to lose autonomy, the Town’s bond rating to become jeopardized, and DEP to seek implementation of a central treatment plant with sewers. What types of AT systems have been approved by the State? The WPCA is working with DEP to choose the ATS and is developing a General Permit to cover ATS treatment for individual lots. Can an owner get a second opinion on the onsite solutions? Yes, but the solution will be subject to WPCA and/or Health Dept. approval. Does a homeowner have any recourse if the information on their specific property is incorrect? Yes. In the context of the ordinance there is an appeal process. By the time a determination is made that your lot is not upgrade compliant or requires an AT system you will be issued an order and have an opportunity to appeal that order. That’s what the ordinance allows. We will work with each homeowner so it won’t be any surprise and hope that we will have done our homework by the time the order is issued. Will OS Wetland Commission have control in the 50’ upland review area? Many of the WWMD properties are adjacent to tidal wetlands which are regulated by the Zoning Commission. Some properties are adjacent to inland wetlands which are regulated by the Inland Wetlands Commission. Discussions will be held with both Commissions to determine how to address the WPCA concerns as well as the wetlands protection issues. |
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