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    Not available for PDF &
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    Waitsfield Municipal Water Project Water & Sewer Page

    BackgroundWhy NeededProposed ImprovementsService AreaBenefits
    Bond ArticleDraft Connection PoliciesProject CostsAct 250 ApplicationDocumentsFAQsContacts
    Links to documents and off-site pages will open in a separate window.

    Status
    Key efforts since the Town vote in November 2008 have been directed at funding, permitting, and planning. Highlights include:
    • Funding. Since the November 2008 bond vote and initial outreach to potential customers, the Town secured an additional $800,000 in grant funding from USDA Rural Development (RD) that reduces the projected customer costs. The $7.6 million project will be paid for by $4.5 million in federal grants, connection fees, and a $3.014 million loan.  Customers who commit to connecting prior to December 31, 2009 will save significantly on their connection costs.

    • Planning. The design plans are 90% complete, the water source permit has been received and the project is currently in the Act 250 permitting process. Before the plans can be finalized so the project can go out to bid for construction, all permits and easements must be secured. Members of the WITF are contacting property owners from whom permanent or temporary easements may be needed.

    • Task Force. The Select Board established a Water Implementation Task Force (WITF) to assist the Town and project engineer with the planning, oversight, and outreach to the connected customers. The task force is made up of Waitsfield residents who represent business and residential customers in the service area and residents outside the service area. The WITF has examined the project cost numbers, is working to secure temporary and permanent easements for the water line, and is reaching out to potential customers.

    • Schedule.  If all permits and easements are obtained and at least 220 ERUs are signed on by December 31, 2009, it may be possible to put the project out to bid this winter and see the start of construction in the spring.  A number of factors could alter that schedule. The project has received the water source permit and is currently in the Act 250 permit review process.  Construction is estimated to take about 18 months from start to finish. The earliest we expect water could be available is July 2011.
    Background
    Development of a municipal water system to serve Irasville and Waitsfield Village has been identified as a priority in the Waitsfield Town Plan for many years, not only to address public health concerns, but also to protect water quality of the Mad River, to provide for economic development, and to reduce the potential for sprawl outside these areas.

    Several sites in town were studied as a potential municipal water supply.  Test wells drilled on sites near the Village did not yield adequate results.  A water source in the southeast quadrant of town was ultimately found for a municipal water system was identified and, after further study, a well was drilled at the end of the Class 4 Reed Road in 2006.  Final engineering and permitting are underway for a municipal water system that would begin at the Reed Road wellhead and follow the Town's rights-of-way along Long Road, down Bushnell Road, and to a new storage tank to be constructed on the Town-owned former LeClair gravel pit site.  From the tank, the transmission mains would follow a right-of-way to Tremblay Road, where it would meet Route 100 and continue on to the Village and Irasville. Hydrants will provide fire protection along the route.  Although not part of the original alignment, an alternative route following Old County Road is currently being explored, which will provide fire protection for the residential neighborhood.  
     
    Proposed Service Area
    Although Waitsfield Village and Irasville are the primary areas to be served by the municipal water, hookups will be possible all along the transmission line, from Tremblay Road and along Route 100.
    Waitsfield Proposed Municipal Water Service Area

    Benefits
    white checkmark on green Safe, proven, and reliable drinking water supply to all connected users.
    white checkmark on green Firefighting capacity from new hydrant system.
    white checkmark on green School and other public buildings will comply with State and Federal rules.
    white checkmark on green Capacity for building owners to install sprinkler systems.
    white checkmark on green Reduction in fire insurance premiums.
    Potential to expand on-site wastewater capacity on properties that currently use on-site water supply wells or springs.
    Infrastructure needed to support Village Growth Center; reduces pressure to grow in a "sprawl" fashion.
    white checkmark on green Expansion of tax base, business retention, and potential for modest growth in Waitsfield Village and Irasville.
    white checkmark on green Costs for construction and maintenance of the system will be paid for only by the connected customers. The more connections, the lower the cost per customer.


    Project Costs Documents FAQs
    Draft Connection Policies

    Why Is It Needed?
    Both quantity and quality of drinking water are currently inadequate for some property owners in Waitsfield Village and Irasville.  For others, there is near term potential for either insufficient quantity or for contamination, with little recourse due to overlapping wastewater fields and well protection areas.

    At Waitsfield Elementary School, for example, an investment in the range of $25,000 is needed to upgrade the school's water system; instead, the school would be able to connect to a municipal system if available.  Other property owners currently rely on bottled water because of contamination from underground storage tanks or current water quality issues. Opportunities for some businesses to expand are limited by water supply systems that overlap with wastewater systems.

    In Waitsfield Village and Irasville, and throughout Waitsfield, property owners need to provide for both water supply and septic disposal on an individual basis.  Many establishments share a single well.  Several decades ago, most of the buildings were fed with water from springs on the hillside to the west.  As these were found unsafe or undependable, many people drilled wells.  The drilled wells, although more reliable than springs, resulted in new issues, such as proximity to nearby septic systems, underground fuel storage tanks, roads and highways, and stormwater runoff.

    Stringent state rules have made the permitting of new well and septic sites, as well as replacement of systems, very difficult for most the Waitsfield Village and Irasville areas.  A vast majority of the more than 150 properties within the proposed service area are currently served by a well that is not in compliance with the required isolation distances from their own or neighboring on-site water or wastewater systems.  The Selectboard has identified this public health concern as an "emergent condition" that needs to be addressed.

    A large number of rural Vermont communities have developed community water systems for their village centers, including Rochester, Bristol, Bethel, and Cabot.  As a commercial center for the Mad River Valley, Irasville and Waitsfield Village need a safe, reliable water supply for residents, business owners, employees, students, and visitors to the stores, library, school, and restaurants.


    Proposed Improvements
    The project is currently planned to include these major components:
  • Water supply will come from a well that has been drilled at Reed Road (off of Long Road), with an approximate yield of 200 gallons per minute.  This well is sufficient to provide the present and projected future demands of the proposed service area.
     
  • Approximately 7,000 linear feet of new 4-inch water transmission main from the well to the proposed storage tank site (up Reed Road, along Long Road, East Road, and Bushnell Road to the Town-owned LeClair site, which is a former gravel pit).
     
  • A 500,000 gallon covered storage tank and treatment control building at the LeClair site.
     
  • Approximately 11,000 linear feet of new 12-inch transmission main from the storage tank to North Road, along Tremblay Road, and Route 100 to the Village service area; and
     
  • Approximately 8,000 linear feet of water distribution mains (mostly 12-inch), fire hydrants, and service connections for most properties in the Waitsfield and Irasville Villages.

    Contacts
    Valerie J. Capels, Town Administrator
    Waitsfield Town Office
    9 Bridge Street
    Waitsfield, VT 05673
    Phone: (802) 496-2218
    Fax: (802) 496-9284
    E-mail: town admin e-mail address

      John Kiernan, Project Engineer
    Phelps Engineering, Inc.
    79 Court Street
    P.O. Box 367 Middlebury, VT 05753
    Phone: (802) 388-7829
    Web: www.phelpseng.com

    Updated October 8, 2009
    Waitsfield's Official Web Site

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