741 Colonel Ledyard Highway  
Ledyard, Connecticut 06339  
TOWN OF LEDYARD  
Water Pollution Control Authority  
Meeting Minutes  
Chairman  
Ed Lynch  
Regular Meeting  
Tuesday, February 27, 2024  
6:30 PM  
Council Chambers - Hybrid  
I.  
CALL TO ORDER  
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Lynch at 6:54 p.m.  
II.  
ROLL CALL  
Board Member Sharon Wadecki  
Board Member Stanley Juber  
Board Member Edmond Lynch  
Alternate Member James A. Ball  
Alternate Member Jeremy Norris  
Board Member Monir Tewfik  
Present  
Excused  
Board Member Terry Jones  
Non-voting  
Alternate Member Tony Capon  
III.  
APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES  
Jim Ball was appointed as a voting member for Monir Tewfik.  
Jeremy Norris was appointed as a voting member for Terry Jones. Terry Jones attended the  
meeting late and did not vote during the meeting.  
IV.  
V.  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
RESIDENTS & PROPERTY OWNERS COMMENTS  
None.  
VI.  
1.  
REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
Motion to APPROVE Regular Meeting Minutes from January 23, 2024, as written.  
Mr. Jones was late and was not present for this vote.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Edmond Lynch  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
4
1
Juber Lynch Ball Norris  
Tewfik  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
1
Wadecki  
ABSTAIN  
VII. COMMUNICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE  
Operations Report.  
1.  
Chairman Lynch attended a Groton Utilities meeting. The DPH has not yet made any judgement  
on whether the WPCA needs to dig up the entire water system to determine those places where  
lead pipes may exist. A report of what lead surveys have been documented and what have not  
been documented needs to be submitted to the DPH by October 2024. After the submission of  
this report the DPH will make a ruling. The budget impact of their decision will not have an  
effect on this year’s budget.  
Distribution system microbiological and physical analysis sampling and testing was completed  
in accordance with DPH requirements. All results were within normal limits. Lead and copper  
values are below action levels. Groton Utilities continues to monitor THMs. The Authority is  
still awaiting the results of the inspection of the Holmberg Tank. Annual cross connection  
inspections will begin in March. Chairman Lynch noted that letters were sent by GU to two  
customers whose water tested high for lead. The letters outlined the procedures the customers  
should use to collect new water samples for testing. Chairman Lynch will be meeting with  
Groton Utilities to discuss the lead issues further.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Service Correspondence.  
None.  
2.  
3.  
Aged Reports/Finance.  
There was nothing remarkable about the aged report. Month to month variations were normal.  
Year to Date Water/Sewer Report.  
4.  
5.  
There was nothing remarkable about either report.  
PSR - Steve Banks.  
Mr. Banks reported that the floats need to be positioned better at the Smith & Loveless Pump  
Station. Low level alarm keeps coming in as influent flow spills on top of the L.W. float. Low  
wet alarm is disabled for now. Waiting for better weather for installation to begin.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Pending Bill 149 -  
6.  
“An act concerning foreclosure, assignments and other enforcement actions for unpaid sewer  
assessments and other fees and charges”.  
Chairman Lynch gave a quick summary of Bill 149, specifically what charges Water Authorities  
can collect and pointed out that interest can be assessed on unpaid bills.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
VIII. OLD BUSINESS  
Review of Trail/Sewer line bids continued.  
1.  
Chairman Lynch attended a preconstruction meeting and reported that tree cutting on the  
trail/sewer will start on March 1. Construction on the sewer line will start April 1. Ms. Wadecki  
asked which kind of pipe they would be installing. Chairman Lynch answered that the 5” PVC  
pipes which the WPCA requested in the bid package. Mr. Juber said the project of putting in a  
pump station where the line terminates could probably be put in as a change order. Chairman  
Lynch agreed. Regarding Phase III, Weston & Sampson wants to put an odor control system in  
the existing pump station. Chairman Lynch said the Authority needs to decide if the unused  
pumps should be pulled out and sold or left alone since they are not in the way of the potential  
odor control system. The Commissioners agreed that the pumps should be sold.  
The sewer line construction around Ledyard High School will not start until school is out for the  
summer.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Discussion on Gales Ferry Intermodal, Inc, 1761 Route 12, Gales Ferry, CT continued.  
Application has been pulled from consideration.  
2.  
3.  
The application has been withdrawn. Chairman Lynch said Groton Utilities gave a quote of  
$24,000 to put a meter on the Dow Chemical hydrant line. The Commissioners agreed that the  
line needs to have a meter.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Holmberg Tank Reservoir 2024 Inspection Report.  
The Cortech analysis has been completed. There were several recommendations.  
There was a question on piping. It read “a combination inlet and outlet pipe tree runs  
horizontally across the floor of the tank. The tank fills through rubber duck bills and drains  
through lower valves. Due to the use of stainless-steel screens over the outlet valves galvanic  
corrosion can be observed forming along the length of the piping”. The evaluation doesn’t state  
what to use in place of stainless steel. Chairman Lynch will ask Mauricio Duarte, GU General  
Foreman Water Operations for clarification.  
ACTION ITEM: Find out what material should be used in place of stainless steel for the screens  
over the outlet valves.  
ACTION ITEM: Get estimates from Groton Utilities on the cost of implementing the  
recommendations in the Cortech analysis.  
DISCUSSED  
RESULT:  
Lead Pipe Review -  
4.  
5.  
Chairman Lynch is attending a meeting with Groton Utilities regarding the mandated lead pipe  
review by the Connecticut Department of Health.  
This is an unbudgeted mandate.  
DISCUSSED  
WPCA Appointments.  
RESULT:  
Mr. Capon spoke with Roxanne Maher, Administrative Assistant to the Town Council and found  
out that ordinance would need to be changed to stagger the appointments. It was advised to leave  
the term expiration as it is.  
COMPLETED  
RESULT:  
Any Other Old Business to come before the Authority.  
None.  
6.  
IX.  
1.  
NEW BUSINESS  
FY 2024-2025 Budget.  
*Tabled from the January 23, 2024 meeting.  
The water budget balance sheet shows a deficit of approximately $750,000. However, about  
$450,000 is this amount is for assets that were on the books but no longer exist. This is a  
one-time write-off that does not affect the authority’s cash or asset positions. There is also about  
$310,000 in depreciation expenses. It is not a cash expense but still decreases the net position.  
The commercial rate needs evaluation. Mr. Ball stated that the Commercial billing is pretty  
much a flat rate that starts at a very high level, perhaps what needs to be evaluated is the line (2”  
vs. 5/8”). Ms. Wadecki added that the problem lays in the high minimum commercial rate and  
maybe that rate needs revisiting.  
Mr. Norris asked what CNR stands for. Ms. Wadecki answered Capital non-recurring, which is  
an account used for major purchases needed in the future.  
Chairman Lynch was recently informed by GU that there will be a five percent increase in water  
costs from Groton Utilities starting on October 1, 2024. Therefore, the authority will recommend  
a five percent rate increase for the next budget. The total increase will be $54,604.84.  
Contingency will increase $35,476.44. Water usage charge will increase $19,128.40.  
Chairman Lynch reported that he will present the WPCA’s budget recommendation to the  
Finance Committee Budget Work Session meeting on March 11, 2024.  
Motion to APPROVE a Fiscal Year 2024/2025 water budget of $1,517,183.62 and a five percent  
water rate increase.  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Edmond Lynch  
SECONDER: Sharon Wadecki  
AYE  
5 Wadecki Juber Lynch Ball Norris  
1 Tewfik  
EXCUSED  
Chairman Lynch will recommend a water budget of $1,517,183.62. He will also recommend a  
five percent water rate increase during the Finance Committee Budget Work Session meeting.  
The sewer budget will not change.  
Motion to APPROVE a Fiscal Year 2024/2025 sewer budget of $671,749.34.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Edmond Lynch  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Wadecki Juber Lynch Ball Norris  
Tewfik  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
Any Other New Business to come before the Authority.  
2.  
Motion to APPROVE payment to Groton Utilities invoice #0023880, dated February 27, 2024,  
in the amount of $82.08, for lead inventory.  
Mr. Ball asked Chairman Lynch if he could get a list of meter sizes for all the water accounts.  
ACTION ITEM: Chairman Lynch will contact Tina Daniels, Groton Utilities Customer Service  
General Manager regarding obtaining this list.  
X.  
ADJOURNMENT  
Motion to ADJOURN the Regular Meeting at 8:12 p.m.  
APPROVED AND SO DECLARED  
Edmond Lynch  
RESULT:  
MOVER:  
Sharon Wadecki  
SECONDER:  
5
1
Wadecki Juber Lynch Ball Norris  
Tewfik  
AYE  
EXCUSED  
DISCLAIMER: Although we try to be timely and accurate these are not official records of the  
Town.