741 Colonel Ledyard Highway

Ledyard, Connecticut 06339

TOWN OF LEDYARD

Water Pollution Control Authority

Meeting Minutes

Chairman

Ed Lynch

Regular Meeting

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

6:30 PM

Council Chambers - Hybrid

CALL TO ORDER

The Regular Meeting was called to order by Chairman Lynch at 6:30 p.m.

II.

ROLL CALL

Board Member Terry Jones

Present

Board Member Sharon Wadecki

Board Member Edmond Lynch

Alternate Member Tony Capon

Alternate Member James A. Ball

Board Member Stanley Juber

Board Member Monir Tewfik

Alternate Member Jeremy Norris

Excused

Non-voting

Also in attendance:

Mauricio Duarte, GU General Foreman Water Operations.

Sarah Lufler, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity.

Greg Lachcik, Benesch Designer.

III.

IV.

APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES

Jim Ball and Tony Capon were appointed as voting members.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

RESIDENTS & PROPERTY OWNERS COMMENTS

Residents and Property Owners.

Dewey Hinman, 146 Meeting House Lane, was present to discuss an issue with being billed for

water used to fill his pool. Mr. Hinman started by saying he had been speaking with Tina

Daniels, Groton Utilities Customer Service General Manager, about his situation. He explained

that he had a leak in his pool, he repaired what he thought was the only leak, but it leaked again,

he repaired the second leak and then filled the pool with approximately 30,000 gallons of water.

Mr. Hinman said he was told by GU 5-6 years ago that he did not have to get a meter when he

was filling the pool, so he didn't get one. He was surprised when he received his most recent bill

of over $900.00. He said had he known he would have been charged he would have bought the

water from a pool company for less money. Chairman Lynch said he would ask Ms. Daniels to

adjust Mr. Hinmans's sewer bill to remove the water used to fill the pool. Mr. Hinman thanked

the Authority.

ACTION ITEM:

Ask Ms. Daniels to adjust Mr. Hinman's billing statement.

VI.

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion to APPROVE Regular Meeting minutes from October 22, 2024, as written.

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

Edmond Lynch

RESULT:

MOVER:

Sharon Wadecki

SECONDER:

Jones Wadecki Lynch Capon Ball

Juber Tewfik

AYE

EXCUSED

VII. COMMUNICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE

Operations Report.

Chairman Lynch said he went to see the Lorenz Parkway night repair on November 14, which he

said was fascinating. He reported good news that the repairs were at the lower end of the original

cost estimate.

Chairman Lynch said he has been in communication with Mike Cherry regarding an estimate of

an 8" meter on Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting Company LLC, which is

approximately $106,000. Chairman Lynch suggested that Cashman shares the cost of the meter.

This will be an ongoing discussion with Cashman, since a meter needs to be in place on the 8"

line going to the hydrants. Mr. Duarte mentioned that Cashman has been using water from this

un-metered line.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

Service Correspondence.

Chairman Lynch said all residents with unknown materials for their water connections have been

issued a letter containing information on identifying service line materials and reducing lead

exposure.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

Aged Reports/Finance.

No questions or comments.

Year to Date Water/Sewer Report.

No comments.

PSR - Steve Banks.

Chairman Lynch said there is an issue that just came up with an overrun cost on the Rotary

Thickener Control System of about ten percent.

During recent line flushing there was a couple of manholes found in need of repair. These repairs

will save some of the incurring of water during rain storms.

DISCUSSED

VIII. OLD BUSINESS

RESULT:

Motion to APPROVE payment to Weston & Samson invoice #4241190, dated April 8, 2024, in

the amount of $9850.00, for Phase III Sewer line upgrade.

This motion was TABLED during the May 28, 2024, meeting.

The Authority decided to refer this invoice to Steve Masalin, Public Works Director.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

Review of Trail/Sewer line continued - progress report.

Ms. Wadecki asked the status of Phase III. Chairman Lynch said that he was told that Phase III

would begin at the end of November once the High School Football season is over.

Surveying is complete and the engineering study is nearly complete.

The contract for Phase III was awarded to Gerber. Chairman Lynch reviewed the bid he said the

cost of the 6" pipe is $330,000. The order control system is not included and the WPCA will be

responsible for installation.

The Authority needs to provide GU with a drawing for a quote to remove the pipe and hydrant

from the abandoned pump station on Gallup Hill Road.

Mr. Ball asked if Weston & Samson could attend the next meeting to give a presentation on

Phase III. Chairman Lynch will ask Weston & Samson to for a presentation.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

Lead Survey Review and Grant Submittal - update.

Chairman Lynch said until all the rate payers respond the amount of the grant will not be known.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

Discuss new budget structure continued.

Chairman Lynch said he hasn't received the YTD reports needed from Finance to work on the

budget structure. Ms. Wadecki said she would also like to see the end-of-year report once the

audit is complete.

ACTION ITEM:

Ask Ian Stammel, Assistant Finance Director, for the required reports.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

WPCA Handbook.

Mr. Jones said the handbook needs some smoothing out. The title will be "Rules and

Regulations" and the policies will be contained within. The items discussed in last month's

meeting will be incorporated as well. These items include:

-Amendment to the Policy for Ledyard WPCA Water Leak Investigations so that for excess

usage due to a leak, a residential customer can use the commercial rate once the commercial rate

is reached. The leak must be repaired. This change is effective October 22, 2024.

-Review of the current rate structure.

-Change the wording on "the customer may request in writing a further investigation and hearing

by the State of Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA)", since this is no

longer the case.

Mr. Jones said he will try to have the handbook revision ready for the December 17, 2024,

meeting.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

Any Other Old Business to Come Before the Commission.

None.

IX.

NEW BUSINESS

Motion to APPROVE Groton Utilities invoice #0026061, dated October 31, 2024, in the amount

of $2,253.46, for lead inventory.

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

Edmond Lynch

RESULT:

MOVER:

Sharon Wadecki

SECONDER:

Jones Wadecki Lynch Capon Ball

Juber Tewfik

AYE

EXCUSED

Habitat Correspondence and design - discussion and draft of a committal letter.

Chairman Lynch gave a summary stating that Habitat for Humanity needs to obtain grant money

for infrastructure before Spring 2025. The plans were submitted but included a pump station, not

individual grinder pumps which Weston and Samson said are required. It was asked how this

change was supposed to be communicated to Habitat. Chairman Lynch said he asked Weston &

Samson to communicate directly with the Habitat for Humanity Engineer but there has been a

lack of communication. He further explained that most Towns do not want to support pump

stations because they become a liability and are expensive to repair and/or replace. Furthermore,

the lines were not designed for pump stations, they are low pressure system where everything is

pushed through the pipe.

Habitat said they plan to tie into Colby drive since they were told they can't tie into Colonel

Ledyard Highway.

Chairman Lynch said the Authority needs to provide two parts in the letter of intent to Habitat as

part of their application. The first part of the letter will state that the WPCA will process 11,550

gallons per day of sewage. The second part of the letter of intent will be for a water main

extension which will include reimbursement if any third-party ties into Habitat's installed main.

Chairman Lynch asked if Habitat have hydrants in their plans. It was answered yes, that two of

them are included in the plans. After checking the drawing it was determined that there will be

three hydrants.

Sarah Lufler, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity asked if one grinder pump is required

per house or per building. Chairman Lynch said that is a question for the W&S Engineers. Mr.

Ball suggested that W&S posts all their requirements so both the WPCA and their customers can

review.

ACTION ITEM:

Get a list of requirements from Weston & Samson.

Schedule a meeting with W&S and Habitat.

Ms. Lufler said the infrastructure grant application is due on December 13, 2024.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

59 Kings Highway Correspondence.

Chairman Lynch gave a summery, he received a communication from GU stating that received a

"call before you dig" on 59 Kings Highway before tying in water to the mobile home Park in the

WPCA's service area. The second communication he received was from the Senior Housing

Authority saying their water was knocked out during the digging on the South side of Kings

Highway while looking for the water line. Chairman Lynch added that their water is not on the

South side of Kings Highway. GU said it is the WPCA's service area not SCWA's. Chairman

Lynch said the question is why did Mark Cohen go to SCWA for a tie in request? Mr. Cohen

built the apartments on Kings Highway, which is serviced by SCWA, so he assumed that Kings

Highway on the north side was serviced by SCWA as well. Chairman Lynch spoke with Mike

Cherry, the Town Representative for SCWA who suggested that they both meet with the Mayor

and Liz Burdick, Planning Director to discuss future development. An agreement should be

reached to determine who services where in future developments, for example the new water

main on Christy Hill Road. Chairman Lynch added that the same issue is happening in Ledyard

Center and the GIS maps need to be fixed. Furthermore, the DEEP water service map on their

website does not contain a date. Mauricio Duarte, GU General Foreman Water Operations said GU

needs to be included from the very beginning when projects come along not just when GU

receives a "call before you dig". Chairman Lynch agreed and said the same goes for the WPCA,

they also need to be involved from the beginning (when a developer submits an application to

the Town Planner) in order for the WPCA to understand the developer's needs. In this case he

didn't know anything until there was a problem with Senior Housing's water. Chairman Lynch

said GU has historically been the WPCA's gatekeeper and it should not be this way, he has

expressed this concern to Ms. Burdick. Chairman Lynch finished by stating that most of Ledyard

is in WPCA's service area and it should be assumed that an area is WPCA's then to go look for

the exceptions not the other way around.

DISCUSSED

RESULT: