741 Colonel Ledyard Highway  
Ledyard, Connecticut 06339  
TOWN OF LEDYARD  
Water Pollution Control Authority  
Meeting Minutes  
Chairman  
Ed Lynch  
Regular Meeting  
Tuesday, May 23, 2023  
7:00 PM  
Council Chambers - Hybrid  
I.  
CALL TO ORDER  
Chairman Lynch called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.  
II.  
ROLL CALL  
Board Member Monir Twefik  
Board Member Sharon Wadecki  
Board Member Terry Jones  
Present  
Board Member Stanley Juber  
Board Member Edmond Lynch  
Alternate Member Jeremy Norris  
Excused  
Alternate Member Tony Capon  
Alternate Member James A. Ball  
Non-voting  
Also present:  
Bill Saums, Town Council Liaison  
Maurice Duarte, Groton Utilities  
III.  
APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES  
Not needed.  
IV.  
V.  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
RESIDENTS & PROPERTY OWNERS COMMENTS  
Cindy Sturgis, 1 Rosemarie Court was present. Ms. Sturgis asked the WPCA to please  
reconsider the charges. She reiterated that the WPCA had knowledge of this leak and said they  
should have been more diligent. She presented a letter she received from Groton Utilities on  
May 8, 2023. The letter was dated April 24, 2023. Ms. Sturgis said the letter contained very  
strong language. Chairman Lynch confirmed that it was a shut-off notice. Ms. Wadecki said she  
specifically asked during the last meeting if the payment agreement into which Ms. Sturgis has  
entered meant that Ms. Sturgis would not receive a shut-off notice and was told that was correct.  
The Authority determined that the letter had been sent in error. Chairman Lynch said Ms,  
Sturgis's case is on the agenda and her concerns will be addressed later in the meeting.  
VI.  
1.  
REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
Motion to APPROVE the Public Hearing Meeting Minutes from April 25, 2023 as written.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Edmond Lynch  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Twefik Wadecki Jones Juber Lynch  
Norris  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
Motion to APPROVE the Regular Meeting Minutes from April 25, 2023 as written.  
Approved the minutes as amended:  
2.  
Old Business # 2 (Rules and Regulation review and possible chances) -  
Replace the last sentence with "Chairman Lynch agreed to draft a policy on the handling of leaks  
that would serve as a starting point for WPCA discussion".  
APPROVED AS AMENDED  
Terry Jones  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Twefik Wadecki Jones Juber Lynch  
Norris  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
VII. COMMUNICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE  
Operations Report.  
1.  
Report format change request  
Chairman Lynch brought up the question raised during the April meeting regarding changing the  
timing of the monthly GU reports. Mr. Duarte said that GU could accommodate the request to  
have next month's report cover six weeks after which the reports could run from the 15th of the  
month to the 15th of the following month in order to have the data more current for the WPCA  
meetings.  
Chairman Lynch asked if painting of the Fairway tower has started yet. Mr. Duarte said he  
reached out last week to the contractor but hadn’t heard back yet.  
DPH suggested an inspection of Gales Ferry tank (Holmberg tank). Sediment in the Ledyard  
Center tank (Fairway tank) needs to be removed and the interior should be re-coated. The  
re-coating will be a large undertaking which will require taking the tank out of service and using  
a temporary pump system. These maintenance items will need to be completed before the next  
DPH inspection. Ms. Wadecki asked how often inspections are completed, Mr. Duarte replied  
that they are done every 3-5 years.  
GU provided a proposal from CorrTech for washout, spot coating and ROV inspection of the  
Fairway Drive Hydropillar. The WPCA will vote on the proposal during the June meeting.  
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL  
RESULT:  
Service Correspondence.  
None.  
2.  
3.  
Aged Reports/Finance.  
Chairman Lynch asked if Groton Utilities is flushing hydrants in Ledyard yet. Mr. Duarte replied  
no; that GU is currently flushing in the Groton area.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Year to Date Water/Sewer Report.  
4.  
Mr. Jones commented that the Water year to date report shows that the power purchased line is  
at 140% of budget. He asked if that means that more water is being sold and pumped or have the  
rates increased and it wasn't anticipated, or possibly both? Also, was this added to next year's  
planned budget? Mr. Saums said to ask Ian Stammel, Assistant Finance Director "if when the  
Town contracted with a more cost-effective supplier for electricity was the WPCA was  
included". Chairman Lynch will ask Mr. Stammel the above-mentioned questions.  
ACTION ITEM  
No comments on sewer.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
PSR - Steve Banks.  
5.  
No report this month.  
VIII. OLD BUSINESS  
Rules and Regulation review and possible changes.  
1.  
Chairman Lynch wrote a draft WPCA policy on handling leaks which he will share with the  
Authority for review.  
NO ACTION  
RESULT:  
Ledyard Center Trail and Sewer Line Project status proceeding to a spring construction start  
continued.  
2.  
The WPCA agreed that Groton Utilities's suggestions should be followed by the Ledyard Center  
Trail and Sewer Line Project.  
Motion to require the Ledyard Center Trail and Sewer Line Project to adhere to the conditions  
agreed upon by Groton Utilities on May 12, 2023.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Terry Jones  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Twefik Wadecki Jones Juber Lynch  
Norris  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
Residents and Property owners (1 Rosemarie Court).  
3.  
Chairman Lynch read an email from Maurice Duarte, Groton Utilities regarding this issue:  
"Regarding 1 Rosemarie Court, there was no previous meter, and it had been vacant for several  
years. We took the straight pipe to install our meter, our procedure is to wait for the meter to  
stop running before we leave the job site, and we did not do that. There was usage on that meter  
since we installed it; we didn’t find the leak till the next read cycle since we read monthly.  
When we lowered the piping for the meter, everything was inside the pit; therefore, we had to  
take the top frame out and cut the copper to reduce it. We wouldn’t need to disturb either side of  
the water line. The same meter we installed after taking the straight pipe out is the same one that  
is currently there".  
The WPCA found two main issues with how Groton Utilities handled 1 Rosemarie Court. The  
first issue was the policy to wait for the meter to stop running before leaving the site was not  
followed. The second issue is the time it took GU to visit the site after excessive water usage  
was reported (from November 23, 2022, to December 12, 2023).  
Motion to APPROVE changing the billing charges for Cindy Sturgis, 1 Rosemarie Court as  
follows:  
From 11/7/22 to 12/12/22, Ms. Sturgis will be billed for nominal usage.  
From 12/12/22 to 12/21/22, Ms. Sturgis will be billed for actual usage.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Terry Jones  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Twefik Wadecki Jones Juber Lynch  
Norris  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
Waste Treatment pump installation update.  
4.  
The pump installation has been delayed in order to obtain and install a 208-volt transformer to  
replace the 240-volt transformer. Using a 240-volt transformer might risk voiding the pump  
warranty.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Any Other Old Business to come before the Authority.  
5.  
Groton Utilities provided an estimate for the cost of moving the hydrant at the corner of Route  
12 and Baldwin Hill Road. Mr. Duarte, Groton Utilities noted that every year the hydrant gets  
damaged from a vehicle hit-and-run at least twice. He suggested moving the hydrant to where  
the island is. The estimate to move the hydrant is $5,683.80.  
IX.  
1.  
NEW BUSINESS  
New Application for blasting - Baldwin Hill Road.  
A new permit for the blasting on Baldwin Hill Road will be required. Chairman Lynch will  
attend the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on June 8, 2023, to discuss the  
possibility of an impact the blasting had on the aquifer on Baldwin Hill Road. Chairman Lynch  
will recommend that a study be conducted to determine the possible impact.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Motion to APPROVE payment of Groton Utilities invoice #0023295, dated February 28, 2023,  
in the amount of $3327.61, for Ledyard Emergency services and materials through February 19,  
2023.  
2.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Edmond Lynch  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Twefik Wadecki Jones Juber Lynch  
Norris  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
Motion to APPROVE payment of Groton Utilities invoice #0023391, dated April 30, 2023, in  
the amount of $1551.06, for Ledyard Emergency Labor through April 23, 2023.  
3.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Edmond Lynch  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Twefik Wadecki Jones Juber Lynch  
Norris  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
Any Other New Business to come before the Authority.  
None.  
4.  
DISCUSSED  
ADJOURNMENT  
RESULT:  
X.  
Motion to ADJOURN the Regular Meeting at 8:42 p.m.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Sharon Wadecki  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Edmond Lynch  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Twefik Wadecki Jones Juber Lynch  
Norris  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
Respectively Submitted,  
_______________________________  
Chairman Lynch  
WPCA