News & Notes

A publication of the MWRA Advisory Board

October 2014

In Memoriam

Thomas M. Menino

(1942 to 2014)

Yesterday, the Honorable Thomas M. Menino, former Mayor of Boston, lost his heroic battle with cancer. The mayor was committed to cleaning up Boston Harbor. He insisted that the Charles and Neponset Rivers be brought back to where they should be; he demanded that the citizens of Boston have the cleanest urban beaches in the country.

At the same time, he was a loud and active voice for all ratepayers in and out of Boston. He pushed to keep water and sewer increases as low as possible.

Through his advocacy, his appointments to the MWRA Board of Directors and the MWRA Advisory Board, the mayor successfully accomplished all of these important goals.

Ratepayers have lost a good friend and the environment has lost a staunch advocate.

The Advisory Board extends its condolences to Mrs. Menino and the entire family.

Mayor Menino at the ceremony recognizing
the completion of the North Dorchester Bay
CSO Project.

EPA to Discuss MS4 Permits at

November 20th Advisory Board Meeting

Newton Tedder of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 1, has accepted the Advisory Board's invitation to discuss and answer questions regarding EPA's release of a draft general permit for small "municipal separate storm sewer systems" (MS4).

The draft general permits require regulated communities to develop, implement, and enforce a Stormwater Management Program designed to control pollutants to the maximum extent practicable, protect water quality and satisfy appropriate requirements of the federal Clean Water Act.

MuniWorks a Success

Attracts Over 100 Participants

In fact, 116 representatives from 42 communities attended the Advisory Board's first session of MuniWorks - Community Workshops aimed at helping communities with water/sewer/stormwater issues.

This year's topic centered on retail rates and local stormwater fees.

Special thanks to our presenters:

Christopher Woodcock, President of Woodcock & Associates, Inc.
Keith Readling, PE, Vice President and Director of Stormwater Management for Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc.
Julie Conroy, Senior Environmental Planner for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)

and panelists:

Lou Taverna, PE, City Engineer, Newton
Michael Hale, Director of Public Works, Gloucester
Kim Honetschlager, GIS Coordinator, Reading

and moderator:

John P. Sullivan, PE, Chief Engineer, Boston Water and Sewer Commission

Thanks to Advisory Board staff members Matthew Romero and Travis Ahern for ensuring its success.

Currently the video of the workshop is being edited and will soon be on the Advisory Board's website, along with all the presentations from the workshop (already available for viewing) at www.mwraadvisoryboard.com.

Communities Sharing Info

With Communities -

Member-to-Member Surveys

On behalf of two member communities, the Advisory Board recently sent out a member-to-member survey on the following topics:

1. Policies regarding abatements for property owners who

have had an increased bill due to a water leak.

2. Rate structures for second meters (irrigation).

If you have not had the chance to respond, time is still available to participate. Please respond to the request sent on October 22, 2014.

Staff will compile and distribute results to all communities.

If you have a question, practical or procedural, and would like fellow communities' input, please contact us at mwra.ab@mwraadvisoryboard.com.

Operations Committee to Discuss Major

Deer Island Projects and How Impacts On Communities Will Be Negated

On November 20, 2014, prior to the start of the Advisory Board meeting, the Operations Committee will meet at 10:30 a.m. at the Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA.

David Duest, Director of the Deer Island Treatment Plant (DITP), will be briefing MWRA communities on a planned DITP Valve Replacement Project.

Included in this project are the replacement of valves, flow meters, and piping at both the North Main Pump Station and the Winthrop Headworks facility.

In order to complete the work, the Authority must de-water portions of the piping in these facilities and construct dedicated temporary de-watering systems.

As part of this project, the Authority will periodically need to shut down all of the pumps in both facilities for up to eight hours for each shutdown. The contract allows up to 62 shutdowns for the contractor to complete the work.

Shutdowns will occur only at night during dry weather conditions (11 pm to 7 am).

Mr. Duest will outline all of the Authority's planned steps to negate any and all impacts to communities as this project moves forward in 2015.

This is a complex project and it is important that communities send a representative to this meeting to better understand how this project could impact your community.

Upcoming Events

November 12th - MWRA Board of Directors -

at 10:00 a.m.

November 14th -

Executive Committee Mtg -

Charlestown at

8:30 a.m.

November 20th

Operations Committee

Meeting - Wellesley at 10:30 a.m.

November 20th

Advisory Board Meeting - Wellesley at 11:30 a.m.

November 27th

Happy Thanksgiving!

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